Pride and Pretenses
by Bella Elizabeth Malfoy
Summary: “Why did you do it?” she asked. “Believe me Granger, if I had known it was you, I would’ve let you die.”
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, the epilogue would never have happened. Thus, all rights (and blame) go to JK Rowling.

**Prologue**

In an elegant but cold room somewhere in England Draco Malfoy slept fitfully when he was suddenly awakened by a hand clamped over his mouth.

"Sshh," the delicate face of his mother leaned over him. "It's just me."

"What's happened?" Draco was instantly alert and wide awake.

Narcissa's face became sorrowful. "I'm afraid what we've been dreading is here."

Draco didn't need an explanation for his mother's expression and scowled as he started to think of the consequences.

"I'm leaving it all up to you now," Narcissa said pulling his attention back on her.

"You have to promise me you will do everything you can Draco," Narcissa pleaded looking into his eyes. "Whatever happens, Lucius can never know – _no one_ can ever know."

"Of course Mother, you have my word."

Narcissa gave him a sad smile. "I know I can count on you. Now rest, for tomorrow, everything changes." With that she silently left the room.


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Everything recognizable from the Harry Potter universe belongs to JK Rowling. Unfortunately, no money is being made from this story.

Context: The story begins in 6th year. HBP and DH never happened. I hope you enjoy the story. As always, reviews are desperately needed and greatly appreciated.

_Toot!_

Steam billowed around the scarlet train as the horn blew, letting students know it was time to board. To Hermione Granger, it was one of the most beautiful sounds in the world.

"Goodbye Mum! Goodbye Dad!" she called as she gave her parents a final wave. With a contented sigh and a big grin on her face, Hermione turned around to board the train. As she tried to heave her trunk onboard, a pair of arms appeared to help her from behind.

"Thank – Ron!" Hermione's smile grew even wider when she turned around and realized who had helped her. She immediately enveloped Ron in a big hug.

"It's (_grunt_) great to see you too Hermione but would you mind putting your hands back on the trunk and helping me? I think it broke my arm when you let go," Ron said wincing although he had a big grin on his face.

"Oh! Sorry," Hermione said helping Ron load the trunk. "Are you alright?"

"I think I'll live," Ron said grinning.

"Where's Harry?"

"Ron!" Harry called walking towards them. "There you are!"

"Hi Hermione," Harry greeted giving Hermione a hug. "Can you believe this guy? He's in so much of a hurry to see you that he left all the stuff with me!"

"We're not at school yet Ron," Harry continued. "Just because you're a prefect –"

A squeal interrupted him. "You got a badge too!" Hermione exclaimed. "Congratulations!" she said giving Ron another hug.

"It's great to finally have some good news for a change. You should've seen his face when he got the letter. He couldn't speak for a week! Of course, we were shocked too. Fred and George actually fainted," Harry said grinning. "Of course, we expected you to get a badge. We didn't even doubt it for a second. It was a given you'd be a prefect."

Hermione didn't really know what to say to that. Luckily, another blast from the train's horn saved her from having to reply. The three friends found a compartment and sat down. Once they had some privacy the mood subtly shifted.

"How are you holding up Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Well, you know, I try. If I learned anything from last year it's that moping around doesn't help anyone. He wouldn't want me to do that either. I was quite angsty last year huh?" Harry asked with a sad smile. "Maybe if I wasn't so…" he trailed off. His friends were afraid that he would start blaming himself again but he seemed to remember his new resolution. "The Burrow is definitely better than the Dursley's," Harry said brightening his tone. "I'm really glad Dumbledore let me stay there for the whole summer."

"Mum was really glad too," Ron added. "She knows how awful Harry's relatives are. Well, at least she was glad for the first part of the summer. I'm not so sure about the second half," Ron snickered. That broke the melancholy spell.

Hermione was about to ask why when Ginny entered the compartment.

"I've been looking all over for you! Hi Hermione," Ginny greeted giving Hermione a hug.

Surprisingly Ron got up from his seat beside Harry and went to sit next to Hermione. Again, Hermione was about to ask him what was going on when she noticed Harry grab Ginny's hand once she sat down. Ginny, on her part, had the biggest grin on her blushing face.

"Oh!" comprehension dawned on Hermione. "It's about time!"

Everyone laughed.

"I'm so happy for both of you," Hermione continued.

"I'm not," Ron said. "The summer was awful Hermione. First, Harry was jittery all the time trying to pluck up the courage to talk to Ginny. Then when they finally _did_ get together, I hardly ever saw either of them. When I did see them, I would wish I didn't because they were so mushy! Blegh!"

"Oh Ron," Hermione said laughing. "So from Ron's comment earlier, I take it your mum isn't too happy with this new development?"

"Mum doesn't actually mind it much," Ginny answered. "They're actually both quite happy that it was Harry. But you know, there's still the whole parents-not-being-happy-their-daughter-is-dating thing. My other brothers already like Harry so they were cool with it too."

"Ron actually doesn't mind that much either," Harry added chuckling.

"Yeah, well better you than some strange bloke," Ron shot back.

The four friends continued to laugh and talk about their summers and the upcoming year.

An hour later, an announcement was made telling all prefects to come to the front of the train for a meeting.

"Well, I guess that's us," Hermione said getting up and putting on her school robe and badge.

Ron and Hermione proceeded to walk to the front of the train. Upon entering they saw that the other prefects were already inside: Hannah Abbott and Ernie Macmillan from Hufflepuff, Padma Patil and Anthony Goldstein for Ravenclaw, and much to the Gryffindors' dismay, Pansy Parkinson and Draco Malfoy for Slytherin. Pansy was leaning over Draco and stroking his arm – to Draco's obvious disgust – when Ron and Hermione walked in.

"Oh surprise, surprise the Mudblood was made prefect. I _am_ actually surprised they picked you Weasel," Pansy greeted the two disdainfully. "I didn't know you had enough brains to make sure the badge didn't stab you when you put it on. You know the quality of the school is declining when they start giving privileged positions to those who are so obviously inferior. Isn't that right Draco?"

Draco simply sneered at them.

At that moment, the Head Boy and Girl entered the compartment.

"If you don't know us already, I'm Eddie Carmichael and this is Katie Bell. We're the Heads this year and we're looking forward to working with all of you."

The meeting went on as introductions were made, patrol schedules were distributed and rules were explained. About an hour later, the meeting ended and Ron and Hermione made their way back to their compartment.

"Hermione, can you hold on for a sec?" Ron asked pausing in front of an empty compartment.

"Yes?"

"Umm, I'm not sure about this part of the patrol schedule. Can you go over it again? We can talk in here," Ron pointed to the compartment beside him. "I'm sure Harry and Ginny wouldn't want to be bored with prefect stuff."

"Sure. Which part?" Hermione asked sitting down. She looked up at Ron who was still standing and was oddly the colour of a ripe tomato.

"This one," he said, handing her the paper and pointing to a corner.

"World gout wime?" Hermione asked confusedly trying to read Ron's untidy scrawl.

Ron turned even redder if it was at all possible – he now looked like a _radioactive_ ripe tomato.

"Would you go out with me?" he mumbled.

Hermione was taken aback. She wasn't quite expecting that. Alright, on some level she _did_ expect it but she just didn't know it would be now. Her first thought was to say no. Her feelings for Ron weren't as strong as his was for her. It felt like saying yes would be a betrayal but she did make a promise. Maybe it's time for her to move on. Who better than Ron?

"Hermione?" Ron asked, breaking her out of her reverie.

"Yes," Hermione answered smiling. "I'd love to."

Author's note: What do you think so far? Please review! Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I only own this disclaimer; the rest belongs to JK Rowling.

**Chapter 2**

The first 2 weeks of school flew by as Hermione settled herself once again into the routine. Because they were taking their OWLS this year, the workload was heavier from the start. Everyone had, of course, already heard the news that Ron and Hermione were a couple. Most reactions, including Harry and Ginny's, were similar to Hermione's "It's about time" comment.

Hermione on her part was content with how things were turning out. There were definitely no fireworks present in their relationship but she felt _right_ with Ron. She supposed that because so much drama always surrounded Harry, she and Ron really only had each other to rely on to pull Harry, and both of them, out of whatever crisis they were in. They pretty much bonded over being Harry's support system and Hermione found that she was very comfortable with Ron.

_I suppose this is how it's meant to be._ Hermione sighed.

Ron, on the other hand, was just happy that when people started to talk about Harry and Ginny's new relationship, they talked about him and Hermione as a new couple too. Oh, he liked Hermione too of course. After all, she _was_ the smartest witch of her generation and all that and everyone always said they were perfect for each other. Who was he to argue with that?

During Hogsmeade weekends, Ron and Hermione, and Harry and Ginny, went out on double dates. They walked around all the shops and went to Madame Puddifoot's for lunch. It was quite fun and it seemed just like when the 4 friends would hang out with each other except now they were paired off and they chose a more "romantic" place to eat than the usually crowded Three Broomsticks. Hermione was happy to see Harry smile again and allow himself to have fun. Ginny was definitely good for him. Her relationship with Ron was also improving. Now that Harry had Ginny, they were able to focus on themselves and Hermione learned more about Ron than she did before. She found herself liking Ron more each day. Because of the heavy workload they were not able to go out on dates aside from the Hogsmeade trips but to give him some credit, Ron set up what Hermione liked to call "mini-dates", especially when classes started to become stressful. Sure, all they did was study but Ron always found a spot in a quiet corner of the library where they could be alone. Ron was also the perfect gentleman – he carried her books for her and held her hand when they walked down the halls and went on patrols together.

Don't think for a second that a new romance distracted Hermione from her studies. This is, after all, Hermione Granger we're talking about. She simply added her relationship with Ron to her pile and integrated it to her scheduled life as easily as a new school project. Hermione's grades were as high as ever, teachers congratulated her, students admired her, and her mood was as bright as could be. All in all, Hermione's life could not have been better.

oOoOoOo

Draco Malfoy, however, was a different story. The day after his mother visited him that fateful summer night, he woke up to a very different manor than he had slept in the night before. The already cold manor was somehow colder, even the roaring fire in the fireplace of his room couldn't warm him inside. The mood was definitely different too – more darkness and dread than usual hung in the air.

"_Master Draco," a house elf apparated in front of his bed. "Master Lucius requests your presence at breakfast as soon as possible. He said to dress formally for a guest." The house elf shuddered at mentioning the word "guest"._

"_Who is the guest Tibby?" Draco asked although he already knew the answer._

"_Tibby is not allowed to say sir. My deepest apologies," Tibby bowed and disappeared with a pop._

_Some time later, Draco made his way to the breakfast room of the manor. He really would've liked to stall some more but he knew that he couldn't delay any more without further angering his father and that he couldn't leave his mother alone with the new arrival._

"_Good morning Draco," Lucius greeted when his son walked in. "I have great news. The Dark Lord has decided to give us the honor of hosting the new headquarters here in the manor."_

_At this point Draco's eyes were drawn to a cloaked figure sitting at the head of the table. Voldemort turned to Draco and his slit-like red eyes seemed to penetrate down to Draco's soul when he said, "Good morning, Young Malfoy"._

_The feeling Draco got with such a seemingly benign greeting made him want to run but he knew he had to stand his ground. "Good morning my lord," he bowed. "Mother, father," he nodded to his parents and sat down._

"_So Draco, I was just telling the Dark Lord how much you were looking forward to joining his ranks," Lucius said conversationally as he reached for a piece of toast._

"_Yes, I see such potential in you. You could even be greater than your father."_

_Lucius cringed. "Yes," he said after clearing his throat. "You would definitely be ready for initiation upon graduation. Maybe even earlier – spies within the school would certainly weaken the old coot." Both Lucius and Voldemort looked at Draco expectantly._

"_Nothing would please me more my lord. I would be honored to do whatever is needed to be of service." _

In the beginning, everything went smoothly enough. The manor became busier as more people moved in, rooms were converted, and the dungeons were once again readied for use. As long as he stayed out of people's way, Draco was able to do whatever he pleased for the rest of the summer.

In September, he left for Hogwarts without much incident. His father reminded him to uphold the Malfoy name and his mother coolly kissed him on the cheek at the train station.

The school year itself started normally, if not a bit better than usual. Crabbe and Goyle waited for him in the train and of course, Pansy showed up moments later, much to his annoyance. The fact that he was made prefect made the new year a bit better. For once, his father was finally happy about something he did. The prefect status gave him more responsibilities which he certainly didn't need, but at least it also provided him with an excuse should he be caught while roaming the halls at night. Of course the badge also earned him some power and respect. While people already stayed out of his way, because he is after all Draco Malfoy, he liked the added insurance that the badge gave. The threat of losing house points and earning detention certainly made people think twice about crossing him should something go amiss. Draco, of course, would die first than slip up. In his situation, the smallest crack in his carefully constructed façade could have deadly consequences.

Things started to unravel near the middle of September. Draco didn't quite realize how much the workload would increase as a result of the upcoming OWLS. This, added to his prefect duties, was starting to put a strain on Draco. A lot of students could've dealt with this. Draco would certainly have been able to tackle this quite successfully. However, towards the middle of September, the letters started to arrive.

_Draco,_

_How are those grades doing? It would be beneficial to have you as Head Boy next year – make sure you get extraordinary marks. I am NOT the only one asking you to do this. This is not merely a request, it's an order._

_LM_

_Draco,_

_I heard you've been made quidditch captain. Very good. Winning the House Cup and bringing Potter down a notch could be useful. I will be keeping an eye on your team. Rest assured, a substandard performance will be punished._

_LM_

_Draco,_

_I haven't heard from you in a while. Please send me some news of your situation there at school. Don't hesitate to ask for help in Potions._

_Mother_

_Draco,_

_Parkinson has been noticing a lack of attention from you. An alliance between the two families is essential to our status. I know that I will not be hearing any more complaints in this matter._

_LM_

Needless to say, Draco's plate was overflowing. Between assignments, quidditch practices, and his task, Draco barely had time to breathe. At the same time, he had to keep up appearances by taking Pansy out on (painful) dates and making sure the Slytherins didn't notice anything different. By the end of September, Draco's grades were starting to slip, Slytherin had lost its first game – against Hufflepuff no less, and Draco was simply exhausted. Letters from his father kept coming, ordering him to do better, including a Howler for the Hufflepuff game. All in all, Draco's life could not have been worse.

Author's note: Thanks for reading. Please review!


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I can't wait until July and HBP comes out in theaters…oh wait, why do I care? I'm not JKR and thus I won't make any money off of the movie. The actors don't even know I exist and you think _I_ own Harry Potter?

**Chapter 3**

Hermione Granger could say, to the second, the exact moment her life was ruined.

The day in question started out innocently enough. In fact, the whole day was quite benign, anticlimactic actually, if you think about it. Of course, it didn't really ruin anyone else's life but hers so people could be biased. In any event, it was a clear, blustery September day – another ordinary Wednesday in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Like everyone else Hermione ate breakfast at the Great Hall and like everyone else she headed for her first class after – in her case it was Transfiguration with the Slytherins.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Alright," McGonagall settled the class down. "Today we will be learning about-"

A student walked in, interrupting her introduction. Naturally the whole class looked at the door and watched the student walk up to the professor. The student was female, tall, and slender. Sunlight streaming in through the classroom windows emphasized some of the highlights in her strawberry blonde hair as she moved toward the front with the grace of a ballerina. She had a delicate, heart-shaped face and stunning blue eyes framed by extremely long lashes. Everyone, of course, was curious about the new stranger but suffice it to say, most of the boys were transfixed by her and some of the girls were already beginning to get jealous.

"Can I help you, Ms…?" McGonagall asked her when she reached the front.

"Genevieve Harrington." She had a lilting, musical voice with a slight accent. "I apologize for being late but Professor Dumbledore wanted to speak to me this morning as I arrived late last night. He told me to talk to you and give you this." She handed over a note.

"Very well," McGonagall replied after finding the note satisfactory. "Welcome to Hogwarts Ms. Harrington." She smiled at the young girl. "According to this note you were sorted into Gryffindor. I am Professor McGonagall, Head of Gryffindor house and these," she motioned to the class who were pretending not to listen. "Are your classmates."

"As I'm sure you've already heard," McGonagall addressed the class this time. "This is Ms. Genevieve Harrington. She is obviously new here and I expect you to show her a proper Hogwarts welcome." She turned to Genevieve. "At present we have Gryffindors and Slytherins in this class." Turning to back to the class, McGonagall added, "Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley are the prefects for Gryffindor. I expect you both to help your new housemate settle in." Some of the Slytherin boys looked disappointed at that. "You may sit over there with Ms. Granger."

Genevieve accordingly took a seat next to Hermione and both girls exchanged smiles as McGonagall resumed the lesson.

"I'm Hermione, by the way," Hermione said once class ended holding out her hand.

"Genevieve," the student answered accepting the hand. "Can you tell me where the Charms classroom is?"

"Oh, I'm heading that way myself. I'll show you."

By this time Ron and Harry had joined them and introductions were once again exchanged.

"Ah, Harry Potter," Genevieve commented after Harry introduced himself. "I've heard about you." She didn't make any further comments for which Harry was grateful.

"So where are you from Genevieve?" Hermione asked as they walked down the hallway.

"I came from Beauxbatons," she answered.

"That explains the French accent."

"I suppose so. Although I was born in St. Mungo's and grew up near Canterbury. We moved to France when my father's business expanded. My mother is French and went to Beauxbatons too so she had no problem letting me go there even though I was English and naturally received a Hogwarts letter as well."

"Beauxbatons… So you must know Fleur Delacour," Ron said.

Harry and Hermione looked at him pointedly.

"Ah yes," Genevieve answered. "Fleur, Gabrielle, and I grew up together. Our mothers are best friends. You," she turned to Harry with a smile. "Saved Gabrielle's life, among other things. Gabby couldn't stop talking about you for months!" She laughed. "And you," she turned to Ron. "Fleur said you helped too. She said she doesn't know where Gabby would be without you."

Ron blushed.

"And of course, Hermione here managed to snag Viktor Krum, one of the wizarding world's most eligible bachelors! Although, if girls knew how obsessed he was about quidditch, they wouldn't even bother. He's a nice enough boy, quite sweet, but so obsessed about the game. It's the only thing he ever thinks about! I suppose, that's what makes him the best."

"Did you go out with him?" asked Hermione out of curiosity as to how she came to know all about Viktor.

"Goodness no," Genevieve laughed. "He's more like my brother. My father and his father have been doing business for years. They always stayed at our place when his father had to do business here." Genevieve grinned. "You should've seen the first time he tried the _Wronski Feint_. His nose hadn't always been crooked you know."

Harry laughed and Ron looked on in amazement, hanging onto Genevieve's every word.

"I haven't heard from him in a while. He's always so busy with quidditch," Genevieve continued. "Are you still going out with him Hermione?"

"No," Hermione blushed. "He just took me to the Yule Ball, we never really went out. We still write to each other though.

That broke the spell. "You still write to Viktor Krum?!" Ron asked incredulously.

"Of course," Hermione answered nonchalantly. "You can't expect me to suddenly stop talking to him just because he left the school."

"How come you never told me?" Ron asked turning red with jealousy.

"You never asked," Hermione said simply. "Besides, I didn't see you complaining when you got the fully signed Bulgaria Team poster last Christmas." Harry and Genevieve laughed.

Luckily, both Hermione and Ron were spared from further embarrassment as they had reached the Charms classroom.

oOoOoOoOoOo

As the weeks went by, Genevieve became better friends with the Golden Trio. In fact, "trio" would not even be the right term to use anymore as the three friends were rarely seen without the new addition. The more they got to know her the more the original trio liked her. She was charming, nice, funny, and smart. Despite having changed schools Genevieve was keeping up with the material quite well and soon she was discussing some of the harder material with Hermione. Hermione was glad to finally have another girl to balance out the testosterone. Ginny was a great friend but she was really more Harry's girlfriend and the fact that she was a year younger prevented her and Hermione from having a lot in common. Genevieve was exactly who Hermione wanted as a girlfriend: aside from their academic similarities, Genevieve read as voraciously as Hermione did so they were able to discuss books as well and Hermione was glad to find that Genevieve had the same opinions she did. Genevieve even read Hogwarts: A History more times than Hermione which definitely put her in Hermione's good books. Hermione was also happy that Harry and Ron had both lessened the amount of questions they asked her since they now had Genevieve to help them with schoolwork as well. However, that was where the similarities ended.

Unlike Hermione, who was friends with other people merely by association to Harry, Genevieve quickly became one of the most popular girls in school. Her stunning beauty drew the attention of the guys at school (and no, she wasn't part Veela) and while they were jealous at first, her designer clothes and accessories, as well as her outgoing personality, made the girls want to be her friend. Also, while Hermione was a muggleborn, Genevieve was a pureblood, and unlike the Weasleys, the Harringtons belonged to the upper echelons of wizarding society. It didn't take long for people to make the connection that her father was George Harrington III of Firebolt fame. Her family had been making the best brooms for centuries and her father obviously inherited the broom making gene when he invented the Firebolt. To say that Ron's jaw dropped when he learned this little fact would be an understatement. Some would later say that Ron was standing in the Astronomy Tower when he found out and his jaw dropped so far that the Slytherins were quite shocked when they saw the lower half of a mouth rush past them in the dungeons on its way to the Chamber of Secrets deep below the school. Yes, Ron was beginning to develop quite the crush on Ms. Harrington, but that's getting a bit ahead of ourselves.

oOoOoOoOoOo

I suppose if she wanted to be technical about it, Hermione could say that things started to unravel in the weeks leading to the Halloween ball. Naturally, Dumbledore put the Heads and the Prefects in charge of the event. Hermione, of course, worked hard to make sure that the event would be a success. Ron, on the other hand, was never really into anything Prefect-related, aside from the status it gave him, so the Gryffindor load fell on Hermione's shoulders. To top it all off, OWL examinations were going to be held in December so the 6th years were also busy studying and trying to keep up with their numerous assignments. Though it was certainly daunting, Hermione was able to handle her workload by doing what she does every year – scheduling. Unfortunately, there was just so much going on that she didn't have time to make up schedules for Harry and Ron as well. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on which way you look at it, Genevieve was there to help. While Hermione was busy planning the ball and cramming in study time in between, Harry, Ron, and Genevieve formed a study group in which the latter helped the other two with their assignments.

Finally, the day of the ball came and it was a huge success. Everyone was amazed at the decorations and the event itself but the real star of the night, the one everyone talked about after, was Genevieve. She showed up to the ball in a magnificent 2,000 Galleon dress and wowed the crowd with a beautiful rendition of a chart-topping Weird Sisters song, a song Hermione had never heard of. It turns out, some of the prefects had asked some of the students to perform and provide the entertainment for the night and Genevieve was one of those asked.

oOoOoOoOoOo

The OWL examinations were a blur of nerves and stress. Nonetheless, the 6th years eventually got through them. In order to make the procedures in the school more cohesive, Dumbledore had decided that he would name the next year's Head Boy and Girl in January based on the OWL exams and of course, the student's overall performance in school. This was so that the next Heads will have a chance to shadow the present ones in order to make the transition smoother the following year. This of course, put extra pressure on Hermione. Everyone had said she would be Head Girl, but still, you never know. All she knew was that she had dreamt of being Head Girl for years. Being muggleborn, she constantly had to prove herself and prove that she had as much right to magic as her classmates. While helping Harry save the world was one thing, becoming Head Girl was really something she could call her own and something that would show her pureblood classmates that she belonged in this world as well. After the exams, Hermione felt okay about her performance. At the very least, she _did_ give it her all – blood, sweat, tears, and her firstborn child – so there was really nothing more she could've done in terms of trying to secure the Head Girl position. At the end of the day, when it's out of your hands, the best thing you could hope for is the knowledge that you really couldn't have done anymore than you already did. Now all she had to do was wait and hope that her all had been enough.

oOoOoOoOoOo

After the exams, students prepared to go home for the holidays. Genevieve invited Harry, Ron, and Hermione to spend Christmas with her family in their villa in the south of France. Harry and Ron eagerly agreed. However, Hermione's parents forbade her from spending Christmas away from home. They had a policy that no matter what, Hermione had to spend Christmas with her family. She really wanted to spend time with her friends since she barely saw them the past couple of months and she would rather shoot herself than go home but her parents _were_ paying for her tuition and she really had no choice. So with a fake smile plastered on her face she wished them a Happy Christmas and left with her parents at King's Cross.

As always, spending time at home was utterly painful for Hermione. She was dragged to countless dinners at complete strangers' houses pretending to be the dutiful daughter to a perfect, happy family. Her only bright memory throughout the whole ordeal was Christmas morning when she found Hedwig and Pig waiting at her window with presents. Harry and Ron got her books – "Potent Potions and their Antidotes" from Harry and "Quidditch for Dummies" from Ron (that made her laugh). Mrs. Weasley gave her another jumper and some sweets, Ginny gave her a beautiful pair of earrings and Fred and George gave her some of their Patented Daydream Charms ("We know how bored you get at those dinners" they had said on their card). Genevieve had given her scented bath oils that also caused the water to change colours and bubble up like a jacuzzi. Hermione gave her presents for Hedwig and Pig to deliver (Quidditch gloves for Harry, a Chudley Cannons jersey for Ron, a magical compact for Ginny that had _every_ makeup item one would need, the newest Celestina Warbeck for Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and a magical ledger for Fred and George that added up your sales totals for you ("I know how much you boys hate Arithmancy but love looking at how much money you have"). She also gave Genevieve a charm bracelet where the charms actually changed periodically. Hermione had a big smile on her face thinking about everyone's reactions to her gifts, that is, until her mother woke up and called her downstairs for breakfast.

Meanwhile in France, Harry and Ron were having a blast at Genevieve's place. They enjoyed the sun and the beach on the coast and the Harringtons were really nice and hospitable.

On Christmas morning, Harry and Ron eagerly jumped out of bed to inspect their pile of presents.

"Harry, is this what I think it is?" Ron asked holding a neatly wrapped package shaped like a broom.

"I got one too. No way," Harry breathed unwrapping his package. "Blimey! It _is_ a new broom!"

"Not just _any_ broom," Ron said reverently stroking the polished mahogany handle. "It's the Firebolt III – this isn't even out on the market yet!"

Harry let the broom go and watched it hover motionless in midair at the perfect height for him to mount it.

"Bloody hell Harry," Ron said still staring at his broom. "No one has even _seen_ one in the flesh!"

When they made their way downstairs for breakfast, the boys thanked Genevieve and her family profusely for an hour, much to their amusement, the other presents forgotten. Oh Harry and Ron opened their presents yes, but they only thought of one thing when they looked back on that Christmas morning.

Two days later, Harry and Ron received a message from the Order that a new lead regarding Voldemort involved Horcruxes and it would be helpful if they started learning about them. Genevieve was with them when the letter arrived and their shocked faces at having received a letter from the Order naturally made her ask what was going on. Because they didn't know what to tell her and they didn't have a clue where to start, they asked Dumbledore for permission to tell Genevieve about the Order so that she could help them. Of course Dumbledore knew the Harringtons well and he trusted Genevieve so he allowed the boys to let her in on what's going on. Luckily, Genevieve had a large library in her villa ("Wow, Hermione would love this" was Harry's comment) and they were able to start researching Horcruxes.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Finally, much to Hermione's delight, the holidays ended and it was time to return to Hogwarts. She eagerly boarded the train and sat down in an empty compartment with a big grin on her face. A few minutes later, Harry, Ron, and Genevieve found her and entered the compartment.

"Hey guys!"

"Blimey Hermione," Ron burst out. "We've got loads to tell you!"

The four friends proceeded to detail their holidays to each other. Hermione didn't have much to say as hers was uneventful. Harry and Ron, on the other hand, couldn't stop talking about how amazing their vacation was. Eventually, they mentioned Dumbledore's letter.

"At first we were like 'What are we going to do? Hermione's the best at research'," Ron said making Hermione blush. "Then Genevieve here saved the day. She showed us her family's library which had tons and tons of books!"

"You should've seen it Hermione, it was huge! You would've loved it," Harry added.

"At first we looked at the general 'encyclopedia-like' books for information but it was really hard to find anything," Genevieve said.

"But then she did this awesome spell where you say the word you're looking for and it makes the books with that word glow," Ron added.

"It was kind of like magical Google," Harry explained.

"What the heck is a Poogle?" Ron asked.

"Never mind," Hermione said laughing. "I understand. Go on, what did you guys find out?"

"Anyway," Ron continued. "Turns out, horcruxes are these things that allow you to split your soul and put it into different things so that you can't die."

"We're thinking Voldemort did just that and that's why he keeps coming back. I guess the only way to kill him is to destroy all the horcruxes," said Harry.

"Well I guess we should start thinking about what and where these horcruxes are."

"Actually," replied Harry. "We think we may have figured it out. I mean, for Voldemort to put his soul into them, they had to be pretty important things. They also have to be things that are hard to find. To be honest, we were stumped. I mean, they could be anything, how would we know where to start? Luckily, Genevieve had this great idea that he could've used something from the four founders. And doesn't it all fit? I mean, putting his soul in the founders' things would not only mean putting his soul in very important relics but it would also be the ultimate sign that he had control over the school that once tried to control him. What's more, with the exception of Gryffindor's sword – which is obviously not a horcrux, no one else knows where the others are. That would make it even harder to destroy them."

"We also think," Genevieve added. "That Nagini is a horcrux. I mean, it's the ultimate insurance to have a horcrux close by and always with you just in case someone gets to the others."

"Looks like you guys were quite busy. Now that I'm up to date, I can start helping you. I feel bad to have missed out on all the action."

"Yeah," Ron agreed. "But I think at this point there's nothing more we can do until Dumbledore gives us more information. Genevieve didn't think it'd be practical to start looking for the founders' relics until Dumbledore has confirmed our ideas. Unless you can think of something else Hermione."

"No," Hermione agreed, much to her dismay. She hated feeling useless. "It looks like we'll have to wait for more information before we can go on."

oOoOoOoOoOo

Over the next few weeks, Hermione again became very busy with school and her prefect duties as the new term progressed. She saw less and less of her friends as she struggled to stay on top of things. Ron tried to help with prefect duties but being Ron, his commitment to the quidditch team took precedence over other activities. Their relationship hadn't progressed very much although Hermione wasn't really sure how to feel about that. On the one hand, she was grateful that it hadn't gotten serious yet since she wasn't sure she was ready for it. On the other hand, the idea of Ron as a boyfriend was starting to grow on her and he seemed to be really into her. He would still hold her hand and carry her books to class and was really sweet to her. They argued less often and she was starting to feel like she was ready to move on and that Ron might be the guy for her.

In the meantime, the rest of the "quartet" had gotten more information from Dumbledore and they were making some serious headway in their research. One day, Hermione was studying alone in the common room as everybody else went to Hogsmeade for the weekend, when Harry, Ron, and Genevieve burst in with the biggest smiles on their faces. Their faces and clothes were covered in soot and they had scratches on their arms.

"What's happened?" Hermione asked shocked. "Are you alright?"

"Never better," Harry replied with a grin. "We just destroyed a horcrux!"

"What?!"

"Yeah," Harry confirmed as they sat down. "It was Ravenclaw's diadem. Our research said that it was hidden at school – "

"Research?" Hermione interrupted. "I thought we weren't going to do anything else until Dumbledore gave us more information."

"Well, he did," Ron said, sheepishly. "We're sorry we didn't get to tell you. You were just so busy we hardly saw you. Plus, you probably wouldn't have had time to help us. Your plate was full. We didn't want to add any more to it."

"That's sweet of you but you know I would've gladly helped you out."

"It's ok. We understand. Luckily, Genevieve was here to help," said Ron.

"So anyway," Harry continued excitedly. "The diadem was supposedly hidden at school so we've been trying so hard to find it. We've even snuck into the Ravenclaw tower to see if it was hidden there but it wasn't. Then Genevieve thought we should try the Room of Requirement to see if we could make the room bring it to us. So we tried to think 'We need Ravenclaw's diadem' but nothing happened. Then Genevieve started thinking 'We're looking for something' and voila! The room opened into this monster lost and found warehouse. Where better to hide something than in a giant pile of junk that no one ever goes through? So we spent all day looking through the room – that explains all the dust. There were a couple creatures we had to deal with – that explains the scratches – but all in all, with the exception of having to go through all that stuff, it was pretty easy. We found the diadem and I was about to touch it but my scar started to hurt really bad as I got near it so Genevieve levitated it to a corner. We tried to blast it with a _Bombardia_ but that didn't work and we tried to burn it but that didn't work either, so we took it to Dumbledore. He taught us a new spell '_Fluo vita'_ which works kind of like a patronus. You focus all your positive energy into the spell and pour it all into the object. The idea is that your life force goes into the object and all the positive energy ends up overwhelming and destroying the mangled piece of soul in there. The diadem made a mini explosion and was destroyed in a puff of smoke. Dumbledore was really weak afterwards though. Apparently, it takes a lot of your energy to do it. And that's it! Two down, 5 to go."

"5? And 2?"

"Oh yeah, Dumbledore said, that his sources say Voldemort split his soul into 7 - 6 horcruxes, plus himself now obviously. Two is for the diadem and the diary back in 2nd yr. It'd be so much easier to stab every horcrux like before but I can't exactly carry around a basilisk fang all the time," Harry said with a smile. "Anyway, I'm beat. I'm gonna go have a nap before dinner."

"Me too," said Ron and Genevieve.

Hermione was so shocked with the news and Harry was talking so fast that she barely had time to react before all 3 of them were gone. A million thoughts ran through her head when they left. On the one hand, she was glad that they were one step closer to defeating Voldemort but on the other hand, she honestly felt left out and disappointed. She was always there to help Harry 'save the day'. It sounds selfish but every time "Harry Potter saves the world" Hermione Granger was always an integral part of the adventure, an important piece of the "Golden Trio". She always scoffed at the nickname but to be honest, being there for Harry and being part of the trio has become a part of who she was. They were like the Three Musketeers. Now, it seems like she's not needed anymore and frankly, if she couldn't be a part of that she wouldn't know who she was. But she should be happy because it doesn't matter who does it. All that's important is Voldemort getting defeated…right?

A/N: Ooooh…if Genevieve's starting to get to you, please review… if you like Genevieve and think she hasn't done anything wrong, please review… if you don't know what to think yet and want to see more, please continue reading and please review. Thank you so much for your cooperation :D

Oh and I know OWLs are held in 5th year but it just makes it easier for the story to have them be in 6th year.


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: If I could own Harry Potter, I would do it thoroughly and own Twilight too… and all Jane Austen books, and Anne of Green Gables, and Shopaholic, and…

**Chapter 4**

After the "Horcrux Incident" as Hermione liked to call it, it'd be nice to say that everything went back to normal - that Harry, Ron, and Genevieve made more of an effort to make sure Hermione was up to date and Hermione found time and made an effort to join them in their mission. Unfortunately, things don't always go the way you want them to.

Two days after the incident, Dumbledore announced at breakfast that OWL results would be handed out during dinner and that the names of the new Head Boy and Head Girl would be posted after dinner. Needless to say, Hermione was a bundle of nerves the whole day. She found herself looking at the clock every few minutes willing it to move faster and she couldn't concentrate in any of her classes. Even when Neville spilled something on her shoe during potions that turned her shoe blue, she merely changed the colour back to black and murmured "Thank you, Neville". Speaking of Potions, Snape was rather relieved to finally have a day without Hermione's hand constantly in the air. He contemplated reprimanding her for not paying attention but he didn't want to remind her to concentrate and have that stupid hand constantly in his face for the rest of the class. All day, everyone (except of course for the Slytherins) kept coming up to Hermione to congratulate her and/or wish her luck. Everyone kept telling her that she would get it for sure. Hermione simply smiled back and thanked them. She didn't want to jinx it and so she didn't make any further comments.

Finally, dinner came. Hermione barely ate anything because she didn't think the butterflies in her stomach would let her keep food in it. Halfway through dinner, the school owls came in and dropped a parchment in front of every 6th year student. With trembling hands Hermione unrolled her parchment.

_Hermione Granger, 6__th__ year, Gryffindor_

_Ancient Runes – O_

_Arithmancy – O_

_Care of Magical Creatures – O_

_Charms – O_

_Defense Against the Dark Arts – O_

_Herbology – O_

_History of Magic – O_

_Muggle Studies – O_

_Potions – O_

_Transfiguration – O_

_O Outstanding, E Exceeds Expectations, A Acceptable, P Poor, D Dreadful, T Troll_

With a huge sigh, and an even bigger smile on her face, Hermione rolled her parchment back up. She had done it. Straight Os was the best she could've gotten and she got it. All her hard work had paid off. She now just had to wait until the new Head Girl name was posted. At this point though, that was merely a formality. She did, after all get the best grades possible so there's really no reason why she wouldn't get it. For once in her life, Hermione wholeheartedly believed what others have been telling her all these years. Maybe she _is _smart. Maybe she _does_ deserve Head Girl after all. A moan broke her out of her reverie.

"A _D_ in Potions?! And a _P_ in History of Magic?! Mum's gonna kill me!" Ron moaned. "It's not my fault that Snape hates us and that Binns is about as interesting as watching paint dry."

Everyone laughed. "I'm sure it'll be alright Ron," Hermione said.

"Yeah," said Ginny trying hard not to laugh. "I'm sure Mum won't _kill _you. Fred and George did worse on their exams and they're still alive. They're now both deaf in one ear but still alive." That had everyone going again. That is, until an owl flew in and dropped a very red piece of parchment in front of Ron.

"Bloody hell," Ron groaned. "I forgot they send out the scores to our parents at the same time."

"I'd get out of here and open it somewhere else mate," Harry warned. "You wouldn't want a repeat of what happened before do you?"

Ron gulped and ran out the Great Hall clutching the Howler in his hand.

"So Hermione," said Genevieve after everyone had calmed down and started showing others what they got. "How did you do?"

"Alright," said Hermione.

"Can I see it?"

"Sure," Hermione handed her parchment over and Genevieve gave Hermione hers.

_Genevieve Harrington, 6__th__ year, Gryffindor_

_Ancient Runes – O_

_Arithmancy – O_

_Care of Magical Creatures – O_

_Charms – O_

_Defense Against the Dark Arts – O_

_Divination – O_

_Flying - O_

_Herbology – O_

_History of Magic – O_

_Potions – O_

_Transfiguration – O_

_O Outstanding, E Exceeds Expectations, A Acceptable, P Poor, D Dreadful, T Troll_

"Wow Genevieve," said Hermione. "You did great! Congratulations!"

"Not so bad yourself, Hermione," replied Genevieve with a smile.

As other students came up to talk to Genevieve, Hermione turned back to her food and noticed that Dumbledore was gone from his seat.

_Hmm, he must've gone to post the list._

Wanting to see it before everyone else crowded around it, Hermione excused herself by saying she needed to go to the bathroom. She walked as fast as she thought she could without drawing attention to herself. Once she was out of the Great Hall, Hermione caught a glimpse of bright purple robes leaving the Entrance Hall.

_That must be Dumbledore for sure._

Now that no one else was there to watch her, Hermione quickly ran to the Entrance Hall where sure enough, a white piece of paper was taped to the glass case which held the House Cup near the main door.

_This is it_.

Six years of hard work all came down to this simple, white piece of paper. Becoming Head Girl was what Hermione wanted the most. It was the only way of validating her place in the wizarding world – of confirming that she made the right choice in defying her parents' plan for her in the muggle world. Sure, she had helped Harry save the wizarding world a few times and one would think that that warranted a place in the magical world. Some might even say she deserved a place of honor for her actions. However, most people still gave Harry all the credit and while Hermione did not resent this, nor did she crave more attention, there were those who denied her involvement completely, saying that she was merely at the right place at the right time and, because of her association with Harry, had simply been "pulled along for the ride". Becoming Head Girl was her way of defining her place in this world on her own terms. After all, if, as is synonymous with the Head Girl/Boy position, she was deemed the best of the best, then _surely_ she belonged here.

With a deep breath, Hermione looked up and read the paper.

_Head Girl – Genevieve Harrington_

oOoOoOoOoOo

Hermione stopped breathing. She heard a rushing sound in her ears and her head started to pound. Four words – four measly little words and her dream was shattered. She couldn't believe it! She read it over and over and over again.

_Genevieve Harrington Genevieve Harrington Genevieve Harrington_

_Head Girl – Genevieve Harrington_

This was not happening. This is a nightmare. _Wake up Hermione._ But she didn't. This was real. All her hard work… the rushing sound in her ears turned into buzzing. The buzzing became louder and louder. With a jolt, Hermione realized it was the sound of students coming out of the Great Hall. Coming out and headed _her way_. With tears blurring her eyes, Hermione ran in the opposite direction before anyone could see her.

oOoOoOoOoOo

After a few minutes of running, Hermione's lungs started to protest and the ache in her chest jolted her back to reality. She found herself outside the castle, on the shore of the lake. It was pretty windy and the wind stung her cheeks and chilled her through her thin school blouse. Hermione didn't care. She collapsed onto the grass and stared at her reflection in the dark water, replaying the past 6 years in her head. What had she done wrong? She worked _so_ hard…

_The smartest witch of her age_. Hermione scoffed at the title. _Obviously that wasn't good enough. _

It's not that she was being arrogant, it's just that everyone's expectations of her – they were all so sure she was going to get it – made it an even greater (and more shocking) letdown.

_Then Genevieve had to come in and take her dream away. She took – _

Hermione jumped up. She had to make sure. She needed reassurance. She needed to know she still mattered. She needed Harry and Ron.

With that thought, she quickly ran back to the castle.

A/N: Please review!


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Genevieve Harrington is mine, Harry Potter is not.

_Last time…_

_Then Genevieve had to come in and take her dream away. She took – _

_Hermione jumped up. She had to make sure. She needed reassurance. She needed to know she still mattered. She needed Harry and Ron._

_With that thought, she quickly ran back to the castle._

**Chapter 5**

When Hermione arrived at the Entrance Hall, she was surprised to find it quiet and empty. The huge clock struck 9.

_I must've been outside longer than I thought_.

With more urgency, she walked faster towards Gryffindor tower.

A few minutes later, as she neared the tower, she heard Ron's voice farther down the corridor and around the corner.

"There's my Head Girl," came Ron's voice.

Hermione's heart lightened. He had waited for her, no doubt knowing she would be upset. He was on her side and thought that she deserved the position. She still mattered to someone. Hermione brightened a little bit. As long as she mattered to Ron, Harry, and the other people she cared about, it didn't matter as much what other people think. Hermione quickened her steps.

"I knew you would get it," Ron said, making Hermione stop in her tracks as she reached the corner. "I think this is a bad idea though. What if someone sees us? Hermione's coming back any minute. We should move somewhere else."

"Why does it matter?" Genevieve's voice was unmistakable. It made Hermione furious but she was rooted to her spot in shock and she couldn't move even if she wanted to. "You said you were going to dump her tomorrow anyway," Genevieve continued. "What was that you said? Oh right, that you only went out with her because she was _there_ but she's _such_ a bore."

"It's such a turn on when you're malicious," Ron stated with a grin.

_What a sick bastard_, Hermione thought still rooted to the spot behind the corner. She could now see Ron as he backed up closer to the wall.

"You're words not mine babe," purred Genevieve now walking up to Ron and in Hermione's field of view.

"But Hermione's still my friend and I'd like to keep it that way. It wouldn't be good for my reputation – or yours for that matter – if she or anyone else knew that we've been doing this for a few weeks behind her back."

"You weren't so worried about that last night," Genevieve laughed lightly. "Or the night before that." With that, she pressed Ron against the wall and put her lips to his.

Despite what he said, Ron didn't make a move to stop her and kissed the girl with equal fervor. Hermione on her part was still in so much shock, all she could do was watch. Ron's moans broke her out of her reverie causing her to gasp. Genevieve stilled and Ron looked up. Hermione met his eyes for a brief second and ran down the corridor, with tears once again blurring her eyes.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Without thinking, Hermione ran to the Astronomy Tower. She climbed the steps higher and higher, with a million thoughts running through her head. She could see now that she had been so blind. Ron had never liked her. He simply used her. Tired of being the third wheel when Harry started going out with Ginny, Ron needed to find a girlfriend and had asked Hermione because, as he so eloquently put it, "she was there". Ron had always been resentful of the attention Harry received. Hermione was sure that Ron was also happy with the attention he got once he went out with Hermione and had completed the picturesque scene everyone had always predicted for the Trio. Now she could see why he never bothered to take her out on real dates. She finally saw that he only held her hand in the corridor when there were others present and that he did it to get attention. She saw, looking back, that his "mini study dates" weren't a way for them to get time alone at all. It was merely his way of using her to help him with his homework. Even their friendship was a sham. Wasn't he, after all, the one who never liked her in the first place? He only helped save her from the troll in the bathroom because Harry felt guilty and pulled him along. Since then, they had always clashed – staying friends simply because they were both attached to Harry. She was so stupid! Of course, that fact didn't come as a shock now. She was definitely stupid enough to not get the Head Girl position after all she did. She thought her world had fallen apart earlier tonight? She thought life couldn't get any worse. She was wrong. Now her world crashed and burned right before her eyes. All had worked for, all she thought she had, rained down before her in a fiery shower of sparks. Her last shred of hope – that she might still matter to someone no matter what the rest of the wizarding world thought – was taken away from her. Ron obviously couldn't care less if she never existed. Harry… Harry had Ginny now and he was too burdened with his own demons to care about her insecurities and failures. And he shouldn't. Why he should he care about someone who didn't belong in the world he was trying to save? Besides, he was also (although not at the same level as Ron) captivated by Genevieve and he had her to help him now. _Genevieve Harrington_. The girl who took everything away from her in one fell swoop. She should've known better. Who was she to compete with a Pureblood? Head Girl did mean "the best of the best" and she was nothing but a Mudblood.

Hermione was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't even notice that her legs had carried her to the far wall of the tower. She now looked out into the night sky with tears streaming down her face as she thought of the one person who saw something valuable in her.

Her thoughts drifted back to that fateful summer between 3rd and 4th year.

_Hermione went out for a walk after feeling particularly upset one morning. She decided to go to the library and escape into a story. It was a nice, sunny day and Hermione instantly felt a bit better as she walked inside her local library. She headed for the shelves and within minutes she was lost in a different world._

_Some time later she was pulled out of her reading when she felt someone approach and sit on the couch across from her. Looking up she saw someone who looked vaguely familiar but she couldn't place his face. The young man was, for lack of a better word, handsome. He had brown hair, stunning grey eyes, and chiseled cheek bones. He was dressed in a blue polo shirt with the collar up and jeans. Aside from his good looks, he was quite ordinary and Hermione thought he looked Muggle. However, she knew that though she didn't exactly know who he was, he wasn't an acquaintance from the muggle world. She watched him read _The Outsiders_ trying to figure out who he was._

_The boy must have felt her gaze because a few moments later, he looked up and smiled at her. His smile made his face light up and made him even more handsome, if that was possible. Hermione blushed at being caught staring._

"_Hermione Granger, right?" The boy asked her still with a pleasant smile on his face._

"_Um yes," Hermione confirmed shyly. "I'm sorry, but I don't seem to – "_

"_Cedric Diggory," he said offering her his hand. Hermione shook it. "It's alright. We've never been properly introduced but I do know who you are." He laughed. "You'd have to be living underneath a boulder not to know who you are." He lowered his voice. "I go to Hogwarts too. I'm in Hufflepuff but two years ahead of you."_

"_Oh, now I remember," Hermione replied. While he was talking she realized that he was _the_ Cedric Diggory. The one every girl talked about in Hogwarts. Hermione thought he looked like a nice enough boy when Lavender pointed him out and had heard only good things about him. Of course, the other girls didn't care about his grades or personality, all they talked about was how good of a kisser he must be. Obviously, Hermione didn't tell him this. She merely added, "Yes, I've seen you around school a few times. I'm sorry for not recognizing you. Everyone looks different in muggle clothing. Which reminds me, I don't remember seeing you around here before. You're not muggleborn, are you?"_

"_No," Cedric replied. "I just needed a break from the wizarding world for a bit. Umm, it's okay if you want to finish reading your book but I was thinking, the library isn't exactly the best place to talk. Would you be interested in getting some ice cream with me?"_

"_Sure," Hermione replied glad to have some company._

_They walked to an ice cream shop down the road. Hermione ordered Rocky Road ice cream while Cedric ordered Espresso Flake. They walked to a nearby park and sat down on the grass. At first they were both silent, enjoying the feel of the sun's rays on them. Surprisingly it wasn't an awkward silence at all. Both felt that the other needed some time to simply be. Hermione's curiosity however, soon got the better of her and she broke the silence._

"_So, if you don't mind me asking, why exactly were you in a muggle library reading a muggle book?"_

_Cedric leaned back on his arm. "Like I said, I just needed to get out. I've always been fascinated by muggle books after reading one in my first year. One of my friends is muggleborn and he lent it to me. Your authors have quite the imagination – some are certainly better than the wizard books I've read. So whenever I need to escape or just relax, I read muggle books. Since they aren't exactly freely available in our world I have to apparate to a muggle library. It's nice to be able to apparate. Before, I had to walk or take the bus to one which wasn't exactly convenient. However, I didn't know of any specific libraries so when I went to apparate, I just thought 'muggle library' and for some reason it brought me to yours." Cedric turned to Hermione. "Funny how that happened, huh?"_

"_I'm more surprised you know what a bus is."_

_Cedric laughed. "I like to learn as much as I can about muggles. Not only are they interesting but your world also has a lot to offer." His tone turned pensive. "The wizarding world could certainly learn a thing or two from it."_

"_Like what?" Hermione asked, genuinely interested in both his tone and what he was saying. Aside from Mr. Weasley, she had never heard a wizard express interest in the muggle world._

"_Like cars," he chuckled breaking the mood. "I like the really fast ones! Brooms are great and all but they're not exactly the most comfortable places to sit on. Plus, they all look the same."_

_Hermione sensed the change in subject and didn't want to push him. He did, however, turn the mood serious again._

"_I hope you don't think I'm stalking you or anything but I did see you walk to the library." Hermione's eyebrow rose but before she could say anything he continued. "I apparated just in front of the library when I saw you coming. I didn't know it was you at the time and I was afraid a muggle might have seen me appear out of thin air so I hid behind a tree. I looked around to see if you were gone and I recognized you as you came nearer. You looked really upset and you were muttering to yourself. I'm not trying to pry or anything but do you want to talk about it? If you don't, that's ok too. I mean, you did just meet me and stuff. It's just, while getting lost in a book is a good way to calm down, at some point you have to have an outlet to let the stuff out too."_

_Hermione wasn't the most open person in the world, in fact quite the opposite, but for some reason she felt like she could talk to Cedric. So she told him about her morning._

Hermione heard her mom talking on the phone as she walked down the stairs.

"Good for her…Yes, well I'm sure she'll have no problems…Hahahaha…Yes, she's doing very well in school…Her father and I always argue as to where she gets her brains from – I always say she inherited mine of course hahahaha… Well, hopefully you know she'll keep up with it. You never know with kids these days…Hmm yes, discipline goes a long way. A lot of the kids these days…that's cause they were never spanked…hahaha, I know, in my day…Yes…She wants to become a dentist…Exactly. What else could she possibly want? The practice is all set up for her. All she has to do is take over the clinic…Yes, of course… Well tell her congratulations for me. Bye now." Hermione's mother hung up the phone.

"Oh good, you're up," she said turning to Hermione. "Well, after breakfast, I need you to clean your room and your bathroom. It's filthy."

Filthy? Hermione thought. I've only been back for 2 days.

"So I was just talking to Mrs. West on the phone. You remember Mrs. West, of course."

Who could ever forget her? Mrs. West and Mrs. Granger had known each other for years, back when they were still Susan and Eleanor, respectively. They went to the same school throughout elementary, high school, and university. The two had always been rivals, always competing with each other for grades, friends, clothes, boyfriends, just about everything though on the outside they appeared to everyone as friends and treated each other so. In university, Susan won a round by marrying the guy Eleanor had a crush on for years. In the end though, Eleanor had the last laugh when she married Mr. Granger who went on to become a successful dentist while Susan's husband flunked out of medical school and became a librarian. While most people, including the author of this story, think that it is as good a profession as any, it was not good enough for Susan, whose outlook on the world, like Eleanor, depended solely on outward appearances and measured achievements by their monetary value. Though their divorce papers say, "Irreconcilable differences", many would not be surprised if she had left him out of shame. Susan went on to marry Mr. West, a successful surgeon, who was always out doing who knows what but could always be counted on to increase his wife's credit card limit. Naturally, the competition between the two 'friends' extended to their offspring. Mrs. West had a daughter who was a few years older than Hermione and is Mrs. Granger's current subject of discussion.

"Well her daughter Helena, just received her GCSE marks. She got 5 As and 1 A! Math had always been that girl's weakness. Anyway, can you imagine? Such high marks. Good for her." To both Susan and Eleanor, appearances were everything to the point that they would always let everyone think they were happy for someone even though they might be feeling something else inside.

"She wants to be a surgeon like her father. Now there's a good job. You can never go wrong with health care. No matter what, there will always be sick people and there will always be a demand for health care professionals. She wants to study medicine at Oxford," Mrs. Granger scoffed. "Mighty difficult to get into that program." "But," she continued in a brighter tone. "I wish her all the luck. I'm sure she'll try her very best."

"How about you Hermione? What do you want to do? I mean, GCSE's for your age are coming up in a couple of years. You should start preparing, especially if you want to get into the dental program at King's College. Did you know it was recently included in one of the top 25 schools in the world? It'd be great for you to go there. Maybe we should be looking at schools for you this September."

"Mom," Hermione interrupted. "I go to Hogwarts remember?"

"Oh, of course," Mrs. Granger said snidely. "But honestly, Hermione haven't you outgrown it yet? We've indulged you long enough now. I mean, what would you be doing after 7th year? Magic is nice and all, but it won't **feed** you. You can't possibly expect to go on living the rest of your life waving around a wooden stick. What opportunities could you possibly have? Work in that **ministry** of yours? Pretty soon you'll be babbling about how wonderful batteries are and calling the phone a "fellytone" like the Weasleys. Don't tell me you envision yourself manning one of the shops in Diagon Alley selling **robes** to children. Honestly, Hermione, I'm sure you want **more** than that. I mean, what will you say to people when they ask you what you do? What will **I** say to people when they ask me how many As you received or what your plans are? Take Helena for example, now **there's** a focused girl – Oxford to become a surgeon – she knows what she wants! Which one would you rather say when people ask you what you do? 'I work at a shop in a strange place in London' or 'I'm a dentist with a successful practice in Cambridge.' You had so many dreams before Hogwarts. We had this all planned out since you could talk! Don't become like one of the many young people these days. So unfocused. They spend years in school for what? To end up working retail because they chose History or English Lit as their major because it **made them happy**. Then what? Now they're miserable because they can't pay off their credit cards. Happiness isn't practical Hermione. Get a good job – a stable, high paying job like dentistry, **then **you can do what you want. Then you can go ahead and do what you want to make yourself happy. Anyway, it's all up to you. I'm off to work. I'll see you later!"

Argh! Hermione wanted to scream in frustration after her mother left. Of course, that would achieve nothing. She wanted to tell her mother that there were lots of opportunities in the wizarding world and list the wonderful careers she could pursue like becoming an auror or a healer or a professor or a journalist – ok maybe not that one. Working with the Daily Prophet and people like Rita Skeeter everyday would be horrid. Nonetheless, the wizarding world was Hermione's world now. She couldn't imagine going back to living a mundane life in the muggle world. Granted, the wizarding world hadn't always been the safest place for Hermione, especially with Voldemort still alive and her connection to Harry, but that's exactly why she had to stay there. That is where her life was now. Where the people she cared about were. Where she was needed. But of course she didn't say any of this to her parents. It wouldn't have made a difference anyway. Hermione had tried to talk to them before and the discussion escalated into an argument faster than you could say 'Squib'. Well, a one-sided argument really with her parents doing all the yelling, saying things like: 'Since when did you learn to talk back to us? Is that what they're teaching you at that school? How to disrespect your parents? Where would you be without us? Maybe we should pull you out…" and other off subject rants.

"_It wouldn't make a difference if I talked to them. They would just come up with a stupid argument that makes no sense logically – but makes perfect sense in their twisted minds – and not listen to me at all. If people think I'm stubborn, they haven't met my parents. It's easier for me not to talk to them about anything and just speak when I'm spoken to and pretend that everything's fine. It's all about appearances with them anyway. Do you know I'm not even allowed to sulk in my room? I'm not allowed to be upset. If I show even a hint that I might be upset, my dad explodes and says 'Upset?! I'll give you something to be upset about…' etc. They like pretending that we're always a happy little family so I have to be happy all the time too. Ugh! I mean don't get me wrong. I am grateful to my parents and all and they are good to me and stuff but a it'd be nice for them to back off a little bit and stop controlling everything in my life including how I feel. Anyway, so after cleaning my room and bathroom, I went for a walk to let out some steam, and well, you know the rest." Hermione looked at Cedric waiting for his reaction. He had been silent the whole time she talked but he looked at her like he really was interested in what she had to say that she kept going. _

_Instead of saying something like 'Well, I'm sure your parents only want what's best for you' or something equally condescending, Cedric surprised her by merely saying, "I can see why you were upset. Do you feel better now?"_

"_Yes," Hermione answered honestly. It did feel good to get it off her chest. Then she remembered something. "Cedric?"_

"_Hmm?"_

"_You said earlier you left because you wanted to escape. Do you want to talk about it?"_

_Cedric lay down on the grass and watched the clouds. "Let's just say, I know exactly how you feel. Like you, my parents are good people too but sometimes, they just get so controlling you know?" He sighed. "I guess, I get sick of all the expectations and all the pressure. My mother would be happy with whatever I did but my father is a different story. He wants me to always get the best marks in school, be popular – 'make connections' he calls it, and be a great quidditch player. He tells people he's proud of me but it's hard to believe. If I go home with high marks he simply nods but if I brought home one B he demands to know what went wrong. The same thing goes with quidditch. I could win hundreds of games and he wouldn't bat an eye but if I lose one, he starts criticizing how I fly, the team's strategy, and anything he could think of. All of it for his master plan. He wants me to work for the Ministry after graduation and someday become Minister of Magic."_

_Hermione understood where he was coming from. She was no stranger to pressure. "What do you really want to do?"_

_Cedric turned his head to her. "You'd laugh at me if I told you."_

"_I won't," Hermione promised._

"_I want to become a Healer."_

"_Why would I have laughed at that? I think you'd make a great Healer."_

"_Thanks. But that's not all. I'm really interested in muggle medicine. I think it'd be great to try and integrate the two," Cedric looked away and blushed._

"_Well, I think that's a great idea."_

"_Really? You don't think it's stupid?"_

"_No. I may be biased but while muggles don't have magic, we have the imagination and innovation to make up for it. Some of our techniques and equipment could be really useful for healers."_

"_That's what I thought."_

_The rest of the day went by quickly as the two discussed anything and everything about themselves. Finally, it was time for both of them to go home as their respective parents would soon arrive. Hermione and Cedric agreed to owl each other to keep in touch and also to set up times to meet with each other._

_The rest of the summer continued but it was more bearable now that Hermione had someone to talk to. She didn't want to write to Harry as he was too busy worrying about Sirius and he would simply worry about Hermione too – worry without really listening to her. Ron wouldn't understand as he had agreeable parents, and well, frankly, he's got the emotional range of a teaspoon. Cedric understood her without judging her and she, in turn, understood him. They were able to talk to each other about anything, both good and bad, and soon they became fast friends._

_During the Quidditch World Cup, Hermione had to pretend to be introduced to Cedric for the first time as his father did not know about his son's muggle side trips. _

Hermione sobbed as she remembered how he had knowingly smiled at her when Mr. Diggory and Mr. Weasley introduced everybody. She remembered how he always knew the right thing to say, how he seemed to know how she felt even if she didn't say anything, how his arms felt around her when he hugged her, how he plotted various ways to kill Rita Skeeter with her after that awful article came out. Wave after wave of Cedric related memories finally broke free and assaulted her.

_Fourth year and the Triwizard Tournament was nerve-wracking for Hermione. Not only was she looking out for Harry, she was worried about Cedric too. They continued to talk to each other throughout the school year and Hermione was there for him when he worried about the upcoming tasks. She was not happy, however, when she heard that he was taking Cho to the Yule Ball._

"_Why did you choose Cho the Ho?"_

"_Whoah Hermione," Cedric chuckled. "Don't you think that's a bit harsh?"_

"_C'mon Cedric," Hermione insisted. "We both know she's only interested because of your newfound fame. Her reputation certainly doesn't help her case."_

"_That may be the case but her father is my father's boss so naturally he wanted me to ask her. Besides, who else would I have asked? Krum already asked you."_

_Hermione blushed._

_oOoOoO_

_After dropping Cho off at her tower, Cedric was walking back to his room when he noticed someone crying on the stairs._

"_Hermione?"_

"_Where's Cho?" she sniffed._

"_I dropped her off at Ravenclaw. That doesn't matter though. What happened?" He sat down beside her and drew her close to him._

"_Ron just can't let me be happy," she sobbed into his chest. "I was having a nice time with Viktor when Ron decided to ruin the night. Just because everyone in this school only sees me as the walking encyclopedia doesn't give him a right to be upset when someone else starts to see something else in me."_

_Cedric held her tighter vowing to kill Ron Weasley one of these days. "He's not worth your tears Hermione." He took her chin and turned her face up. "And not _everyone_ in this school thinks you're a walking encyclopedia."_

_Hermione looked down._

_Cedric gently pulled her face up again. "You _are_ smart, yes. But you're also so much more than that. You're brave, kind, honest, loyal, witty, and a damn good listener. You're the best friend I ever had." His eyes burned with intensity. "You're the strongest person I know, putting up with so much and handling two worlds. And you're beautiful." With that, he lowered his lips and gently kissed her. _

oOoOoOoO

_Psst!_

_Cedric turned around to find a brown bush of hair attack him._

"_Oof! Hermione," Cedric admonished laughing as he loosened her hold on him._

"_I have a bad feeling about this," Hermione whispered looking up into Cedric's eyes._

_He gently took her face in his hands. "Don't worry," he said caressing her cheek. "I'm sure Dumbledore wouldn't put anything in there that we can't handle."_

_Hermione leaned into his touch. "I'm scared for you. You and Harry. I can't handle it if something happened to either one of you." She opened her eyes and gazed fiercely into his. "Let me come with you. I'll use Harry's cloak and help you both out. No one will have to know. I'm coming."_

"_You know I can't do that Hermione," Cedric laughed softly. "It's against the rules. Besides, I'd be too distracted. _I_ wouldn't be able to handle it if anything happened to _you_." He rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes reveling in the feeling of her breath mixing with his. Finally, he closed the distance between their lips and kissed Hermione with all he had._

_Hermione immediately responded and matched his burning intensity. It was the most desperate kiss Hermione ever had but at the same time, it was the softest. It had the gentleness only Cedric could pull off, as if she was the most fragile thing in the world and he was afraid of hurting or breaking her. Cedric was the one who first broke off. Hermione moaned at the loss of contact._

"_You better go," he said giving her the crooked grin she loved so much. "If Rita Skeeter finds you here she'll tell people you're after Fleur next. I'll be fine Hermione, I promise. I'll look out for Potter too." He turned to go._

_As Hermione started walking away he spoke again, stopping her in her tracks. "Hermione," he said. Hermione turned around. "If something happens to me in there, promise me you'll keep going. Promise me that you won't give up. I'm not the only one who needs you. People need you Hermione Granger. The world needs you." _

Hermione crumpled on the floor of the astronomy tower. Gut-wrenching sobs tore through her throat. The night of the maze was the darkest night of Hermione's life and she wasn't able to grieve for the one person who truly loved her for who she was. After Voldemort came back, she had to be strong for Harry. She threw everything she had into Dumbledore's Army if only to seek revenge for taking Cedric away from her. During the summer, she had to again be there for Harry as his godfather died. She was never able to grieve but she never forgot. Every night he was in her thoughts and dreams and he was always a huge part of the reason why she kept on fighting Voldemort. No one else knew about how close they were because she was always one third of the Golden Trio and he was always Hogwarts' Golden Boy – both roles with their own expectations and demands.

"But who am I now Cedric?" Hermione sobbed in the empty room.

"Who am I?!" she was screaming in anguish now. "I'm no one without you. You were the only one who ever saw anything in me. I'm not even a walking encyclopedia now!"

Hermione walked over to the ledge of the Astronomy Tower. "You told me I had to keep going. I had to help Harry save the fucking world. I'm sick of being strong! Harry doesn't need me anymore. I need you! There's nothing for me here. I need you. I'm coming." With that, Hermione jumped.

A/N: Please, please, please review! Even Genevieve would review – you wouldn't want to be meaner than her would you?


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Harry Potter isn't mine. I wish Draco was, but he isn't either.

_Last time…_

"_Who am I?!" she was screaming in anguish now. "I'm no one without you. You were the only one who ever saw anything in me. I'm not even a walking encyclopedia now!"_

_Hermione walked over to the ledge of the Astronomy Tower. "You told me I had to keep going. I had to help Harry save the fucking world. I'm sick of being strong! Harry doesn't need me anymore. I need you! There's nothing for me here. I need you. I'm coming." With that, Hermione jumped._

**Chapter 6**

Draco Malfoy should have been on top of the world. Everything was finally coming together. Despite the setbacks he experienced in the beginning of the year, once he sat down and scheduled things out, he found life almost do-able. Well, whatever he did, it must've worked because he was chosen to be Head Boy. Yup, that's right – Head Boy.

Like everyone else, he heard Dumbledore's announcement at breakfast regarding the new Heads. However, unlike Granger, whom he swore choked on her spoon in excitement, he met the news with some apathy. Throughout the day, he wasn't entirely sure how he felt about the upcoming news so he decided to put it out of his mind. The whole day went by as most days did and if he looked back on it, Granger would probably be the only thing that would've stood out in that day. Granger choking on said spoon, Granger's bushy head vibrating in class as she tried to stay still, Granger's shoe turning blue, Granger's bushy head again, whacking Weasley in the face as she rapidly turned her head when the final bell rang, and Granger practically running out after Dumbledore after dinner.

_The girl couldn't be subtle to save her life. _Draco thought with a smirk.

He had gone to his room right after dinner, not wanting to squeeze in with the rest of the students as they crowded around the Entrance Hall. His robes weren't worth getting wrinkled for that. He was sure that someone would let him know who the "lucky" ones were and sure enough, Blaise walked in a few minutes later to tell him that he had gotten the position.

Shock was the first thing he felt. On some level he did expect it but he never thought it would actually happen. He was sure Scarhead would be Dumbledore's first choice.

_I guess the Head Boy duties would've hampered his ability to save the world._ Draco snickered. _Can you imagine if all Voldemort had to do to achieve world domination was make Potter Head Boy?_

In any event, Draco excused himself after Blaise delivered the news and went to grab his broomstick. Once he was up in the air, Draco took a deep breath of the cool night air and heaved a sigh. Flying always helped him clear his head. He loved flying and he desperately needed it to sort out his feelings on the matter at hand.

If he was happy with becoming a prefect, he should have been ecstatic after seeing that poster in the Entrance Hall. After all, it _was_ one of the things his father wanted him to accomplish and it did tell people that he was the best of the best. However, one, he didn't need another thing to pile onto his already overloaded plate. Two, if he was being honest with himself, he was scared shitless of what his father or the Dark Lord would make him do now that he held such a high position in the school. And three, he wasn't sure why he had gotten it in the first place. He knew he was the smartest guy in his year (he only came in second to Granger after all, and even then, his grades were always pretty close to hers) and by all accounts, he deserved getting the Head Boy position. What bothered him though, was the possibility that his father – or worse Voldemort – had something to do with it. It's not that he would've given it to someone else who might've deserved it if that _was_ the case, he wasn't _that _noble. It's just that, it would be nice to know for sure that he had gotten it on his own merit. Somehow, it was hard to believe that Dumbledore would've really picked him on his own merit, seeing as how he was evil and all that. And _if_, his father or the Dark Lord had anything to do with it, well, see reason #2.

On his way out, Draco had stopped in the Entrance Hall to look at the list himself, just to make sure Blaise wasn't kidding around. He confirmed that he had gotten it and he saw that he would be working with the new girl, Genevieve, next year. He was honestly floored when he saw that. He was more shocked than when he found out he had become Head Boy. Normally, he couldn't care less about Granger but if anyone was going to be Head Girl, it was her. He thought Divination was a load of bollocks but even someone as stupid as Trelawney would've put their money on Granger becoming Head Girl. It was just as inevitable as a Weasley having red hair and being poor forever – it was a fact of life!

Now, he was working with someone new. He didn't know how to feel about that either. He obviously would rather _Avada_ himself than choose to work with Granger but the rare times that he entertained the thought of being Head Boy, he also mentally prepared himself for having a difficult time working with Granger. Though it might all be insults and arguments, at least with Granger he knew what to expect. Now he was working with Genevieve Harrington. He remembered when she first arrived at Hogwarts and how all the girls wanted to be her while all the guys wanted to have her. She was attractive, he'd give her that but he's seen (and had) lots of attractive girls before and she wasn't all that special. What held his attention was the fact that she looked vaguely familiar but he couldn't place her. It wasn't until a few hours later after overhearing other students that he realized she was a Harrington. Because the Harringtons were, of course, part of the wizarding upper class, they were invited to all the Malfoy events. Draco realized that he must've seen her a few times in France when his mother threw all those lavish parties. Aside from that, Draco didn't really know much about the new Head Girl and he didn't like that one bit. Two of the things Draco hated the most were surprises and being unprepared for them.

Draco was thinking about all of this while he was flying. The wind had considerably picked up whipping Draco in the face and making the night even colder which is just how he liked it. It had started to rain though so Draco decided to call it a night. He was flying back towards the main doors when lightning flashed illuminating the school grounds. At that moment, he saw someone fall out of the astronomy tower.

_Not her._ It was Draco's only thought as he sped toward the falling figure.

The figure approached the ground fast and Draco wasn't sure he would make it. He took a dive and spurred his broom faster, determined to reach the person before they lay flattened on the ground. Just when he thought it was too late, he was able to grab the person's collar and yank them up on his broom. He quickly steered the broom back up higher into the air before both of them crashed to the ground. The rain was coming down in torrents now. When they were high enough, Draco let the broom hover as he panted to catch his breath and calm the adrenaline pumping through him, the person he saved still slumped over his broom.


	8. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Didn't you know? Harry Potter is mine and I made millions off it that's why I now have all the time in the world to write this story – not.

**Chapter 7**

Hermione Granger was finally at peace. She closed her eyes after jumping off the tower and only thought of one face – Cedric. She felt the wind slice through her from below and the rain pelting her from above but she didn't care. None of that mattered now. Soon, she would be with him and that's all that mattered. Soon – she felt a violent tug on her collar and suddenly she was thrown up and over what felt like a broom.

_No! Cedric!_ Hermione thought. She felt the broom rise then hover. She was afraid to open her eyes. She didn't _want_ to open her eyes. _This isn't happening._ She should be dead. She should be with him now.

Hermione heard someone panting – obviously whoever "saved" her. Only with Hermione would curiosity get the better of her even just after a suicide attempt. She looked up just as lightning flashed, illuminating shocking blonde hair.

Draco felt the weight shift on the broom and looked down at the same time.

"Malfoy?!"

"Granger?!"

In shock, Draco lost control of the broom and it started to drop fast. Instinct made Hermione hold on tighter. A few moments after Draco stabilized the broom, Hermione broke the silence.

"Why did you do it?" she asked as Draco moved the broom toward the school.

"Believe me Granger, if I had known it was you, I would've let you die."

"Why don't you just drop me then?" Malfoy always riled her up and despite the strenuous circumstances, this time was no different. His answer made anger flood through Hermione and for that brief moment, she was her old self again.

"I don't want to become a murderer just for you," Draco replied glaring fiercely at her. They had reached the astronomy tower now.

"You mean you're not one already?" Hermione shot back before she could stop herself.

Draco roughly twisted the broom, unceremoniously dropping Hermione on the floor of the tower, and quickly flew out into the night.

All her thoughts and emotions hit Hermione hard and she slumped against the cold wall and sobbed in anguish.

A/N: Please review!


	9. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: (to the tune of the Oscar Meyer Weiner jingle) "Oh I wish I was a Harry Potter owner, that is what I'd truly like to be. 'Cause if I was a Harry Potter owner, everyone would be in love with me!"

A/N: This story will be D/Hr I promise, I just have to set things up and I don't want to rush it.

**Chapter 8**

A dull ache in her neck woke Hermione up the next morning. She opened her eyes and found herself in an awkward and uncomfortable position with her head on a cold, stone floor, her right arm crushed under her body, and her legs bent at a weird angle. She was laying on her side and the stone wall right against her nose kept her from being in the more comfortable fetal position. She sat up quickly, dazed and disoriented. The sharp pain in her neck from the sudden movement reminded her of where she was and the memories of last night assaulted her. Her cold surroundings and cramped muscles were evidence that none of it had been a dream – everything really did happen. Her emotions threatened to overwhelm her again but after last night she found she didn't have the strength nor the tears left to cry anymore. She did not want to go back downstairs. Back to reality. Back to a life in shambles - the house of cards that collapsed in one fell swoop. She did not want to pick up the pieces.

Her determined, stubborn side made a brief appearance as she stood up and stretched her arms and legs. She briefly contemplated jumping out the window again but gasped when she turned around to do so. The most incredible sight met her eyes as Hermione stared out the tower window. It was early morning and the sun was just beginning to rise. The sky was a thousand different shades of pink, orange, yellow, red, and every colour you can possibly think of. As the sun rose and the light spread, the school grounds below came alive. The ground and the Forbidden Forest were coloured vibrant shades of green and brown. Hagrid's hut and the greenhouses were illuminated and washed with colour, while the lake started to sparkle. Everything was even more stunning, washed anew by the night's heavy storm. Hermione never realized how beautiful Hogwarts was. The sight took her breath away. It was as if the sunrise was made just for her.

_Flashback_

_Hermione was studying late in the Gryffindor common room when she was startled by a tapping sound on the window. She was the only one left in the room so she opened the window to find a school owl holding its leg out to her. Surprised, she promptly untied the note attached and the owl flew away. She closed the window and hurried back to the couch where she was studying. Intrigued, she quickly unrolled the parchment. _

H,

I'm worried about the 2nd task. I really need to talk to you. I'll pick you up in front of the Fat Lady later tonight at 5:30 am.

C

_Hermione was glad that it was from Cedric and that she was going to meet him but part of her wondered about the odd time. Sure, it was difficult for them to meet in secret (which they've had to do because 1) they weren't expected to be together and it would make people talk and 2) Harry was still jealous of Cedric over the whole Cho thing so he would see it as a betrayal while everyone else would think she was "fraternizing with the enemy" and betraying her house and friendship with Harry) but Cedric never asked her to meet him at such a weird time. _

"_Well, he does have a quidditch game tomorrow,"_ _Hermione thought. "And they usually like to practice the morning before the game so he must want to talk to me before the practice."_

_Hermione was worried now. To make such an effort, Cedric must've really needed to talk to her. _

_Since it was past midnight, Hermione decided to pack up and get as much sleep as she could before he came. She brought her books up to her room, changed into what she planned to wear, grabbed her cloak, a pillow, and a blanket and went back to the common room. She then settled in on the couch, set her wand to wake her up, and promptly fell asleep._

_oOoOoOoOoOo_

_Brrring!_

_Hermione's wand woke her up at 5:15. She quickly sent all her stuff to her room and went to the washroom to brush her teeth and fix herself up. Just before 5:30 she stepped through the Fat Lady's portrait. As if on cue, she spotted Cedric walking up the stairs. Hermione quickly walked up to Cedric and hugged him. He pulled her even closer to him for a few moments and then loosened his hold on her, his hand still around her waist. She looked up at him and noticed that he seemed kind of nervous. That reminded Hermione of all the worries she had when she read the note._

"_Are you alright? What happened? What did the egg say?"_

"_Slow down, Hermione," Cedric told her giving her a smile. "I'm alright."_

_Hermione breathed deeply. "I thought you found out something bad about the task. Why did you need to talk to me at this hour then?"_

"_Is it so bad that I just really wanted to see you?" He asked touching the tip of her nose. Hermione blushed. Cedric continued. "I finally figured out what the egg says but I'll explain later. Right now, we don't have much time, I need to show you something." He seemed excited now. Cedric let her go and took her hand. _

"_What are you –"_

"_Just follow me," Cedric interrupted, pulling her towards the astronomy tower._

_They finally arrived at the tower and the first thing Hermione noticed when Cedric opened the door was a broom leaning against the wall by one of the windows._

"_Cedric," Hermione said slowly, eyes wide as Cedric pulled her into the room. "That's a broom."_

"_Very smart Hermione," Cedric laughed. He let go of Hermione and picked up the broom. His tone shifted as he gave Hermione an intense gaze. "Do you trust me?" He asked, holding out a hand to her._

_Hermione took a deep breath. "Yes," she said earnestly, locking her eyes with his._

_Cedric gave her his crooked grin as he helped her onto the broom._

"_You know I hate flying."_

"_Don't worry, I've got you," Cedric said as he climbed behind her. He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and curled his fingers on the broom. "Here we go," he said as they rose and flew out the window. _

_Hermione shifted a bit and buried her face into his shoulder, her hands clutching Cedric's shirt tightly. Cedric looked down and breathed in her hair. They flew higher and farther towards the outskirts of the school._

"_Hermione love," Cedric said, kissing the top of her head. "You have to look now." Hermione shook her head on his shoulder. "Please?"_

_Hermione looked up and met Cedric's eyes. She saw nothing but pure adoration there. She had never felt so safe. Sighing, she broke his gaze and turned around. The sight in front of her was absolutely stunning. Cedric had brought her to the cliffs and the sun was just beginning to rise. The world exploded in colour as the sun rose higher and higher out of the water. Everything was intensified as the water reflected every hue the sun and sky put out. She watched, mesmerized as the distant mountains changed colours and became alive._

"_It's so beautiful," she whispered in awe._

_Cedric was watching her. "Yes, you are."_

_Hermione turned around with a smile and was stunned at the look on his face. Cedric's face was breathtaking in the sunrise. The soft light from the sun highlighted the angles of his face and made him glow like an angel. His eyes were what captivated Hermione the most. The sun brought out blue flecks in his grey eyes, but the emotion in his gaze made it hard for Hermione to breathe._

"_I love you Hermione."_

_Hermione's heart stopped. No guy had ever said that to her before. But, looking into Cedric's eyes she knew that she loved him too. Her heart swelled so much she thought it would explode._

"_I love you too," she earnestly replied, matching his ardent gaze._

_He smiled her favorite smile before he bent down and met her lips._

_End Flashback_

oOoOoOoOoOo

Hermione felt tears slide down her face as she watched the sunrise and remembered that day. Cedric had put so much effort into preparing and timing everything right so that the scene would be special when he told her he loved her. It was as if, like this one, the sunrise was made just for her. Hermione gasped softly as she had an epiphany. She wasn't meant to die last night. I mean, what are the chances that Malfoy, or anyone for that matter, would've been out flying last night and that he was able to save her? Hermione believed in fate and it seemed like she was meant to be here. She knew her life was still a mess and that it wasn't going to be easy but damn them all. Damn Ron and damn Genevieve. She would keep going for him. Harry or no Harry, she would get revenge on that bastard for taking Cedric away from her.

With her new resolve, Hermione made her way down the stairs.

* * *

A/N: What did you think? Please review!

Thanks for all those who have reviewed, your comments help keep me going! :)


	10. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter – pssh! Whatever! She can keep it – who would want Ron anyway? I want Rupert though.

**Chapter 9**

Since it was still fairly early, the corridors were deserted when Hermione made her way back to the Gryffindor Common Room. She was surprised, therefore, to find a rumpled figure on the couch when she entered the room. The closing of the portrait must've woken them up because the figure stirred as she came in.

"Hermione?" Harry mumbled sleepily.

"Yeah, Harry it's me," Hermione said softly.

Her reply woke him up and he swiftly walked over and enveloped her in hug.

"Where have you been?" Harry asked, still holding her tightly. "We were so worried about you. I looked everywhere for you after we heard the news."

"I just needed some time to think."

"Ginny said you probably needed some time alone," Harry said letting go of Hermione. They both sat down on the couch. Harry noticed his friend's disheveled appearance. "Are you alright? Were you out in the storm?" He asked. Harry turned to grab his blanket and wrapped Hermione in it. He conjured some hot chocolate and handed a cup to Hermione. Hermione gratefully accepted the drink but remained quiet as she sipped it.

"Tough break, huh" Harry continued wanting to hear her voice to make sure she was okay. He was frantic with worry when he didn't see her after dinner after the results were posted. Only Ginny kept him sane and convinced him that their friend likely needed a moment to herself. He loved Hermione like a sister and he couldn't bear it if something happened to her. So, when everyone fell asleep, he crept back downstairs to wait for her to come in. "Listen – "

"I'm alright Harry, really," Hermione interrupted him with a soft smile. It didn't quite reach her eyes though.

"I'm really sorry Hermione. I know how much you wanted it. Everyone knows you should've gotten Head Girl," Harry assured her. "Genevieve was really sorry about it."

Hermione stiffened at the name. Harry didn't notice.

"The whole common room became quiet when she walked in after dinner," Harry continued. "She knew how everyone felt and was nice about it all. She said she knew you deserved it too but that it was out of her hands. Well, no one could fault her for that. Eventually, people offered their congratulations. Ron though -"

Again Hermione stiffened.

"Ron was a different story," Harry continued. "He was so worried, he ran off to look for you without even waiting for me. I didn't see him come in until just after everyone started going to their rooms after Genevieve's speech. I should go wake him. He would want –"

"No Harry!" Hermione exclaimed. "I mean," she continued more softly. "We all had a tough night last night and I'm sure he needs some rest. I need to go to my room too and get some sleep before class starts." She stood up and put her mug on the table.

Harry stood up too and gave her a hug.

"Thanks for waiting up for me Harry. And don't worry. I'm fine, I promise."

"Don't scare me like that again okay?" Harry asked with a small smile. He let go of Hermione and she made her way up to her room.

"Hermione," Harry called making Hermione turn around to face him. "You know I'm here if you need me right?"

"Yeah," Hermione said, trying to smile. "Thanks, Harry."

oOoOoOoOoOo

On the other side of the school, Draco Malfoy tossed and turned all night. After leaving the astronomy tower, he flew directly to a certain window to peek in and make sure she was alright. After seeing her sleeping form, he calmed down considerably. For a few agonizing moments he thought he had lost her. Turns out it was just Granger. He still couldn't believe it. He had just saved Hermione-freaking – Granger. He didn't know what was more shocking – the fact that the brainiac jumped off the tower or that he had risked his life to save her. Granted, he didn't _know_ it was her at the time but he had done it nonetheless. He would've never pegged her as suicidal – she was always so annoyingly perky, except of course, when she talked to him. But, I guess you never know with weird muggles.

The look in her eyes when she looked at him on that broom haunted his thoughts. It was the look of utter defeat. She had totally given up. He knew getting Head Girl was important to her but to kill herself over it? Part of him knew she was too smart for that. That there must be something more than just losing a stupid school title. But Draco tended to ignore that part of him a lot. It always came up with uncomfortable conclusions and, now that he thought about it, usually appeared when Granger was involved. At one point, Draco thought that part of him was probably called a conscience or something, but as he refused to acknowledge its existence, he didn't spare it that much thought. The, other, more comfortable part of Draco told him to just be happy nothing bad happened to a more important person and to put Granger out of his mind. Draco, however, found that difficult. Once in his bed, his mind wouldn't shut up. It kept replaying the events of the night over and over again.

"_Why did you do it?"_

"_Believe me Granger, if I had known it was you, I would've let you die."_

"_Why don't you just drop me then?" _

"_I don't want to become a murderer just for you." _

"_You mean you're not one already?"_

_**You mean you're not one already?**_

That question shook him to the core. Though it had a sarcastic bite to it, there was an underlying disbelief there that Draco didn't miss. He was used to people thinking the worst of him. It happened so often that most of the time, he didn't care anymore. In fact, a lot times, it worked for him. Most people were so scared of him that they didn't dare defy him. Granger was the only one who ever fought back. She was the only one who could really keep up with him and on some level, part of him was hoping that she was smart enough to see something more in him. Something more than just Lucius Malfoy's son and future Death Eater. Draco scoffed. Of course, she wouldn't. She was just like everyone else – blindly following Dumbledore and Saint Potter, content to live in a black and white world while refusing to acknowledge shades of grey existed. In her world, and in his father's, people were either good or bad, pureblood or not. He was so upset that he had dropped her quite roughly on the tower and flew away.

With a sigh, Draco tried hard to forget about what happened. Forget about her. But Granger's face, her eyes just kept appearing every time he closed his eyes. Her eyes were always so full of life, fiery with passion whether she was studying or yelling in his face. The empty look in her eyes disturbed him more than he cared to admit.

When the first hints of sunrise appeared, Draco still hadn't gotten a wink of sleep and so he gave up. He got up and looked out his window to watch the sunrise. He honestly didn't know how beautiful things like that still existed in such a screwed up world.

oOoOoOoOoOo

There was no way Hermione was going to be able to go back to sleep but she needed a few moments to collect her thoughts before she faced the rest of the day. Since there were a couple of hours left before breakfast she decided to go have a bath in the Prefects' bathroom to clear her mind. After setting everything up, Hermione stepped into the large tub and let the warm water relax her aching muscles.

She couldn't believe Genevieve had the gall to look like she was sorry about what happened. Worse, she was disappointed everyone had believed her. But, she couldn't really expect much from her classmates anyway. They tended to follow the norm blindly and they shied away from things that made them uncomfortable. Genevieve's speech had offered them a way out. Everyone genuinely liked Genevieve but none of them wanted to be the first to congratulate her because they also knew Hermione deserved it too. The speech made them feel like they could be nice to Genevieve (_Suck up is more like it_, Hermione thought) without completely disregarding Hermione, whom they really only thought of because she was Harry's friend. After all, Genevieve was sorry right? Hermione scoffed.

And Ron! He was a bit more resourceful than she gave him credit for, making Harry believe that he was looking for her.

Harry. She was glad that he really seemed to care about her. She'd have to thank Ginny for keeping him sane last night. She loved him like a brother and didn't want to lose him anymore than he wanted to lose her. She wouldn't be surprised if Ron had only made friends with him in first year because of who he was. She would never tell Harry that though. Ron was his best friend, practically his brother, and the hurt that it would cause would not be worth it. Besides, the rest of the Weasleys, whom Hermione adores, are also Harry's family now and she didn't want to hurt him or them even more. No, she would keep Ron's lies to herself. As long as he was helping Harry and not hurting him, she would leave them alone.

oOoOoOoOoOo

_Splash!_

Hermione woke with a start.

_Oh no! What time is it?_

"Ooohhh, what do we have here?"

Startled, Hermione turned around to find Moaning Myrtle swimming around the tub.

"H-hi, Myrtle," Hermione greeted slowly.

"Hi, she says, hmph!" Myrtle pouted. "You never come visit me in the bathroom anymore. Too good for me huh? Just because you're _alive_." She said the last word acidly.

"I'm really sorry Myrtle," Hermione said getting out of the tub after rinsing herself off.

"Well, you won't be alive for long, McGonagall's gonna kill you for being late to class!" Myrtle said, laughing at her own joke.

_Shit!_

"Um, what time is it Myrtle?"

"Time?!" Myrtle screeched. "As if I have any reason to keep track of time. All I know is, everyone just finished breakfast so you better hurry along." With that, Myrtle flew away cackling.

Hermione hurriedly dressed into a clean set of her uniform and put her hair into a ponytail. She dashed to her room to grab her books and ran to class.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Meanwhile, Draco Malfoy was disturbed. When he entered the Great Hall for breakfast that morning, he was perturbed to find that his eyes had automatically scanned the Gryffindor table for a bushy-haired witch. He refused to believe that he wanted to make sure she was alright. He just wanted to make sure his near-death experience didn't go to waste. It would be just like her to throw away his effort by jumping off the tower a 2nd time.

_Well, we sure would be better off without her._ He thought, not quite believing it.

Despite his efforts, he couldn't help but occasionally glance up to see if she arrived. She never showed up for breakfast. He was getting frustrated now as he walked to class.

_Gryffindor courage, my ass._ She wouldn't actually let people know she was so weak as to throw herself off the tower over the stupid Head Girl thing is she? He was sure she was going to show up, peppy as ever, ensuring everyone that everything was fine. She wouldn't wallow in self pity today. Not when everyone was expecting her to do just that. Surely, Granger had more pride than that.

_Unless she _did_ throw herself off the tower again._ The unwanted thought popped up anyway. It took all of Draco's self control not to look over at her empty seat in class. Finally, McGonagall started the lecture.

"Today, we will be learning about – "

The door swung open with a bang, making all the students look toward the back of the classroom. Everyone, except Draco, who was concentrating very hard on not moving his stare away from the parchment in front of him.

"Aahh, Ms. Granger, so nice of you to join us," McGonagall said. "Take a seat."

Draco turned around then. He watched as Hermione flushed red and took a seat at her desk. He had to admit, she looked decent for someone who just tried to kill herself the night before. She had a clean set of robes on and aside from her ruffled appearance, obviously from running to class, she looked quite put together. Draco didn't like the relief he felt when he saw her. He quickly turned his gaze back to the empty parchment in front of him.

As McGonagall continued the lesson, Hermione could feel everyone looking at her curiously. As if they were all waiting for her to breakdown. She tried to look around for a safe, blank spot to look at while McGonagall was talking. As she looked around, she caught Malfoy staring at her. She thought she saw a flash of relief pass through his eyes at seeing her. But it disappeared so quickly she wasn't sure it really happened. He turned his attention back to his desk.

As McGonagall handed out the assignment for the day, Hermione remembered that it was Malfoy who had saved her the night before. She didn't know why, but she felt that she needed to talk to him, if not at least thank him. Luckily, her and Malfoy were the first ones to finish the assignment (which wasn't really a surprise considering they were the smartest ones in their year – Genevieve hadn't finished hers as quickly since she was helping Ron). As Draco stood up to hand in his paper and leave, Hermione followed. Once he was out the door, Hermione quickly tried to catch up with him. She called out when they were a safe distance away from the classroom.

"Malfoy, wait!"

* * *

A/N: Ooohhh…what did you think? Please Review!

Again, thanks to all those who review, you guys always make me smile!


	11. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: See the previous 9. I really don't have to put any more of these do I? I am but a humble fan, borrowing JK Rowling's wonderful (w/ the exception of Ron) characters. That is the last I will say on this matter.

**Chapter 10**

"Malfoy, wait!"

Draco heard Hermione call out to him. He knew whatever it was wouldn't be good so he kept walking.

"Malfoy, stop!" Hermione called, panting as she tried to catch up to Draco's quick steps. "Don't make me hex you!" she added when he didn't stop.

Draco was in no mood for a scene today so he stopped. "I'd like to see you try," he said, still not turning around. He heard, rather than saw, Hermione finally arrive beside him. She was still breathing heavily.

"What do you want Granger?" Draco asked finally turning to look at her. "I don't have all day."

"I just – " Hermione took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. She stood up straight and looked at Draco. "I just wanted to thank you – for last night."

Draco didn't know what to say to that. He expected her to do something stupid and "noble" like thank him, which she did, but what caught him of guard again were her eyes. When she looked at him as she said that, he saw the vulnerability there. For a split second, all her defenses were down for him. That unnerved him so he did the only thing he knew how to do – he lashed out.

"Don't bother thanking me Granger, and don't ever mention it again either," he said with a menacing look. "Like I said, if I had known it was you, I would've let you fall." With that, he turned around and walked away.

He meant to say 'die' instead of 'fall' like he did last night but for some reason he choked on the word. What the hell was wrong with him?

Hermione watched him walk away. She didn't know what to think. Well, what exactly did she expect? _For Malfoy to say 'You're welcome' and then for them to be best friends forever?_ She scoffed. _Hardly._ Well, at least she did what she had to do and Malfoy, well, Malfoy would always be Malfoy and for some reason, that didn't seem so bad. What the hell was wrong with her?

"Hermione!"

Hermione turned around to find a red blur attack her.

"Oh Hermione!" Ginny exclaimed after knocking the wind out of her friend. "Are you alright?" she asked, finally letting go.

"A little winded, but I think I'll be fine," Hermione said.

"You know that's not what I meant," Ginny said pouting.

"I'm fine Gin," Hermione sighed. "Really."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"It's fine Ginny. She deserved it."

"Don't say that!" Ginny exclaimed. "You should've gotten Head Girl! You know it, I know it, everyone in this school knows it. I knew that girl was trouble the moment I saw her. She is too perfect. It's not only annoying but it's a clear sign that she's hiding something. No one's _that_ perfect, even if they were a Harrington." She said the last name with disdain.

"What did you mean by 'Harrington'?" Hermione asked emphasizing the name just as Ginny had.

"Oh, well, they're just like the Malfoys," Ginny said. "Not in a Death Eater, sort of way – at least I don't think so – but in an 'I'm a pureblood and I'm rich, therefore I'm better than everyone else' kind of way. Bill used to go out with one of Genevieve's cousins but he wasn't good enough for her family. They threatened to disown her if she stayed with Bill and they told Bill so. Lexy, whose real name was Alexandra, wanted to stay with Bill but he knew how much she loved her family so he let her go. He was so sad for months, and so was she. So, we don't have the greatest history with the Harringtons, or the other pureblood 'elites' for that matter."

"That's terrible. Well, I would pick the Weasleys any day over pureblooded snobs," Hermione said.

"Thanks Hermione," Ginny said smiling. "But seriously, are you sure you don't want me to hex her? A simple bat-bogey hex would be exactly what she deserves."

"Thanks Gin," Hermione said, laughing for the first time since everything fell apart. "You always know what to say. But no, like I said, Genevieve worked hard for the position too."

"Alright," Ginny said reluctantly. She gave Hermione another hug and turned serious. "Are you sure you're alright though? We were so worried when you disappeared last night."

"I just needed some time alone," Hermione explained, hoping Ginny would let it go. "Thanks for calming Harry down though. I really appreciate it."

"I figured you needed some time for yourself. I'm here if you ever need to talk though," Ginny said. "As for handling Harry," Ginny winked. "Don't worry about it, handling Harry is my specialty."

"Eww Ginny!" Hermione said laughing. "I really didn't need to hear that."

Ginny laughed. "As much as I'd love to stay and chat, I have to get back to class. I've been 'in the washroom' long enough. Wouldn't want people to think I had diarrhea or something."

Hermione laughed again. "Thanks Gin."

"Anytime," Ginny said walking away.

Hermione sighed. At least one more person cared about her. That thought put a smile to her lips.

Since she had free period next, Hermione had quite a bit of time before she had to go to another class. It was a beautiful, sunny day after the previous night's storm so Hermione decided to walk outside and pay Hagrid a visit.

oOoOoOoO

"Hagrid?" Hermione called out, pushing the door to the hut open. Fang looked up at her from the fireplace. "Hey Fang, is Hagrid in?"

"Hermione?" Hagrid asked coming in through the door. He smiled when he spotted her. "I thought I heard your voice. I was in the back taking care of the skrewts. Take a seat."

"Would you like some tea?" Hagrid asked as Hermione made her way to a chair.

"Yes I would, thanks," Hermione answered.

"Now, how are ye?" Hagrid asked as he handed Hermione a cup and poured her some tea.

"I'm fine," she automatically replied.

"You don't look fine," Hagrid said matter-of-factly. Hermione was about to dispute this when he continued. "But I understand if you don't want to talk about it. Just know this 'Mione, I've known you long enough to know when something's not right."

"Thanks, Hagrid," Hermione said, relieved. She gave Hagrid a genuine smile.

Hagrid smiled back, then frowned. "'Tis a shame, it is. You should've gotten Head Girl. I dunno anyone, in this school or in the years before you, who deserved that more than you did. I know you may not want to talk about that but I had to give my two cents. I'll tell you what else. He may not seem like it to you just now but Dumbledore's a good man. It's just that, sometimes, there are some things he can't control. He had every intention of giving you Head Girl – I know that for a fact. Aside from your grades, you've done so much for this school and for the wizarding world. It's just the Board was part of the decision, too. You already know Lucius Malfoy is part of that, but there are other rich purebloods on there too. People who would rather die than honor a muggleborn. You can bet they were ecstatic when Genevieve came to the school. You got caught on a technicality. Despite Dumbledore pleading your case, the rules said that the decision would be made based on the OWLs and your performance in school. Even though you got the highest marks possible, Genevieve had taken one more course than you did and got high marks as well, which meant that technically, she did 'better' than you and thus should be head girl. I'm sorry Hermione."

The news stung. To think that despite her hard work, she was deprived of her goal simply because she was muggleborn. What would she have to do to prove that she belonged?! Well, at least it was nice to know that Dumbledore was on her side. It was also nice to have a concrete reason as to why she didn't get the position. Whoever said life was fair, right?

"Thanks Hagrid," Hermione said. "It's alright, really. Thanks for explaining things though. It helped a lot."

"No worries, Hermione," Hagrid said with a smile. They both looked at the clock. "I guess it's time for you to go to class huh?"

"Yeah," Hermione replied rising. "Thanks again Hagrid." She hugged him and left.

As she walked back towards the castle, she saw an owl flying towards her. It landed on her shoulder and held out a package. As soon as she untied it, the owl flew away. Curious, she untied the string on the wrapped package. As soon as she untied it however, the wrapping became undone by itself and rose in the air. Hermione was so startled she let go of the package, causing a box to fall to the ground. She was about to pick it up, when the wrapping in the air started talking, similar to a Howler.

"Hey Hermione!" the wrapping called out in what was unmistakably a Weasley twin's voice. The paper then ripped itself in two and both pieces started talking similar to how Fred and George themselves would talk.

"We heard – "

"The awful news –"

"Can't believe a Harrington became Head Girl instead of you."

"Madness, I say! Madness!" That brought a smile to Hermione's face.

"Don't worry about those old pricks in the Board – "

"You'll always be Head Girl to us!"

"And you know that _we're_ the ones who really matter, right Gred?"

"That's right Forge."

"Since we can't be with you in your hour of need – "

"Because our business is booming – at least according to the ledger – "

"Thanks for that by the way."

"We love it!"

"Anyway, we decided to give you some of our love."

"Presenting…" At this point, the box on the ground started to open and various objects rose out of it.

"A Harrington voodoo doll." A small blond-haired doll floated to the forefront.

"It doesn't really work – "

"Because we know you're too nice to actually use it."

"So, instead, simply wind it up and it will bang its head repeatedly against the wall!"

"Blood will even gush out of its head if you let it go long enough – "

"Or just press the button if you can't wait."

"Our next item, is our Patented Daydream Charm – "

"Really has nothing to do with your situation – "

"But you can never have enough of those, especially in Binn's History class."

"Finally, the piece de resistance…"

"We present to you…"

"The Don't Look at Me Funny or I Will Smack You Upside the Head Pin!"

"We really should come up with a better name for that Forge."

"We really should."

"Sorry, Hermione, but you're the 1st person to try it – we still have to work on the marketing part."

"Anyway, to explain, simply attach the pin to your robes – "

"And anytime someone looks at you and thinks mean things or feels sorry for you, they'll – "

"Conveniently feel someone smacking them upside the head!"

"Brilliant isn't it?"

"We figured loads of stupid students must be staring at you now."

"This way, we can smack them upside the head even if we're not there!" Hermione's smile grew to a grin.

"Well, I think our work here is done."

"Hope you feel better 'Mione!"

With that, the wrapping disappeared in a puff of smoke. Hermione smiled again as she put the items back in the box. For the first time in weeks, she felt lighter. Harry, Ginny, Hagrid, Dumbledore, and now the twins – it was nice to know there were still people left who cared about her. With a wicked grin, she decided to put the Weasleys' pin on her uniform and make her way to class.

After an uneventful class, she was walking to the Great Hall for lunch when she was suddenly grabbed and pulled into an abandoned classroom. Whoever it was promptly locked the door and cast a silencing spell once Hermione was inside.

"Let me go!" Hermione screamed turning to face the person only to find it was Ron. "Don't you dare touch me!" she said wrenching her arm from his grasp. "I can't believe you have the gall – "

"Hermione," Ron interrupted with his palms up in a gesture of surrender. "I didn't pull you in here to fight. Listen, I just want – ". He paused. "I just want to say that… that I'm breaking up with you."

Hermione simply looked at him for a moment. Then she burst out laughing. Ron started to relax when her tone turned cold.

"_You_ are breaking up with _me_?" Hermione asked in a sardonic voice.

"Listen, I know you saw us and you're upset but I just want to make sure we're all on the same page. I, well, I just wanted to make sure you weren't going to tell anyone and that –"

"Don't you dare patronize me Ronald! You want closure? You want to officially be able to go out with Genevieve? Fine! Here's your bloody closure! It's over – _I'm_ breaking up with _you_ because I fucking hate you and I never want to speak to you again!" With that, she turned around and reached for the doorknob. Just before turning it, she turned back to Ron and with a mocking tone she added, "Oh and don't worry about your reputation. I won't tell anyone how horrid you both are because unlike you, I don't go around trying to ruin other people's lives!"

As usual, Ron simply stood there open mouthed as Hermione walked out and slammed the door.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading! I really want to know what you think so please review :)


	12. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling nor do I own Harry Potter. See previous chapters.

_Last time…_

"_Don't you dare patronize me Ronald! You want closure? You want to officially be able to go out with Genevieve? Fine! Here's your bloody closure! It's over – I'm breaking up with you because I fucking hate you and I never want to speak to you again!" With that, she turned around and reached for the doorknob. Just before turning it, she turned back to Ron and with a mocking tone she added, "Oh and don't worry about your reputation. I won't tell anyone how horrid you both are because unlike you, I don't go around trying to ruin other people's lives!"_

_As usual, Ron simply stood there open mouthed as Hermione walked out and slammed the door._

**Chapter 11**

Life goes on. That was a lesson Hermione learned over the next few days. No matter what happens, the sun will always rise the following morning and the world will keep spinning. Life at Hogwarts was no different – it went on as usual. Hermione was irrevocably changed that night and she now had to reevaluate everything about herself and find out what she really wanted in life. However, she still had to go through the motions. True to form, Hermione made the best out of the situation. She studied as hard as ever (after all, she wasn't going to waste her time at school and give Genevieve a sense of satisfaction if she failed) and maintained such a façade of her old self that it even convinced both Harry and Ginny that she was completely alright.

At first it was difficult. Though her confrontation with Ron helped make her feel a bit better, it still stung when he and Genevieve announced that they were dating the very next day. It wasn't so much that she had any feelings left for Ron – it just reminded her of how stupid she was to believe him and his lies. The pity stares she got from everyone didn't help matters much either. The morning after the HGF (or Head Girl Fiasco, as she liked to call it), people's stares were mostly curious and inquisitive, wondering if she was going to suddenly break down and cry in front of them. When Ron and Genevieve made their announcement the next day, curious stares turned into those of pity. Hermione never really cared about what others thought of her, but pity was something that she absolutely despised and did not want. Luckily, the twins' pin gave her some relief since stares of pity would quickly turn into looks of hurt and confusion as well as exclamations of "Ow! Who hit me?!" and "Why did you do that?!" to their innocent companions. Hermione loved the twins more than ever during those few days. However, none of these compared to the hurt Hermione felt inside her. When classes became a bit dull, Hermione would find herself spacing out and thinking of Cedric. She would think about how she would be with him now if her jump hadn't been interrupted. The longing to be with him was so intense it hurt.

Eventually, Hermione soon became yesterday's news. The amount of people mysteriously smacked in the head grew smaller and smaller until there were none left. As for Cedric, though she still thought of him every day and night, Hermione accepted that for now, this was where she was and she just had to make the best of it.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Unfortunately, fate decided to throw her another curve ball. About a week after the HGF, Hermione was at dinner when Dumbledore made an announcement.

"Good evening everyone," Dumbledore's voice instantly quieted the Great Hall. "I'm sorry to interrupt your dinner but I have an important announcement to make. Tonight we have a special guest," Dumbledore continued, stretching his arm out to call the guest to the front.

Hermione's breath hitched and her heart started pounding in her chest as she looked to the front and found Mr. Amos Diggory, Cedric's dad.

"Mr. Diggory," Dumbledore continued speaking though Hermione was barely aware of him. She was staring at the closest living link she had to Cedric in years. "Is here today to present a great addition to Hogwarts – the Cedric Diggory scholarship!"

Hermione's attention was instantly reclaimed by the headmaster at the mention of Cedric's name.

"Cedric was of course, a great student at this school. We are all proud to honour him with this scholarship in his name. Before I give out the details, I'd like to call on someone very dear to him, to speak about the fine young man that inspired this award."

Hermione waited anxiously to find out who this person was. She half-expected Dumbledore to call on her but of course, she was being silly. No one knew about her relationship with Cedric. Nonetheless, the name Dumbledore did call came as a shock.

"Ms. Chang, if you please."

With a proud smile on her face, Cho stood up from the Ravenclaw table and flipped her shiny, black hair back. She haughtily walked up to the front, clearly loving the attention.

"Hi everyone," Cho began. "Yes, Cedric and I were _very_ close."

Hermione wanted to snort at that one but it would've been rude and highly inappropriate. As much as she loathed the girl, she at least hoped that Cho would give people a good reminder of who Cedric was.

"Cedric was handsome. He was smart and nice… and… brilliant at quidditch! Did I mention gorgeous? That boy was fit! We were _so_ close – he said he wanted to marry me. Said I had the face of an angel. It's a shame he died. That face, oh, it was so…"

Hermione couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't stand one more minute of Cho using Cedric for attention. She was sick of Cho pretending like she knew him, sick of her talking about Cedric's face and quidditch skills as if that was all he was. With a mumbled excuse to Harry, Hermione slipped out of the Great Hall. Once she was out, Hermione ran down the hall, not caring where she was going. She just needed to get away. She found a door, opened it, and entered. She shut the door for privacy, collapsed against a wall and cried her heart out. She cried because she was angry. She was angry at Cho for using Cedric and for reducing him to nothing more than good looks and athletic ability. She was angry at her classmates for believing Cho and remembering Cedric only for being the school's "Golden Boy", an image he despised so much. She saw their attention waver once Dumbledore made his announcement. She heard some of them go "Oh, I thought it was something important" as if Cedric was just some random person. As if he didn't walk the halls with them, eat with them, talked to them, played quidditch with them. Most of all she cried for Cedric and herself. She cried for the boy who was so easily forgotten because he died in a far off, quiet graveyard and not in a blaze of glory. She cried for the boy who would be remembered as nothing more than that great-looking kid who played quidditch well. She cried for the man who was so much more than that and for herself because she couldn't do anything about it. No one knew about her and Cedric and so she would never be given the chance to make them remember him. But she would remember him. When everyone else forgets, she would always remember.

"Why are you crying?" A small voice startled Hermione and made her look up. "Why are you so sad? Angels aren't supposed to cry."

In front of Hermione stood a little girl of about 5 with curly, blonde hair, a pink dress, and a teddy bear under her arm.

"Don't worry, I'm sure it'll be alright," the little girl continued. "You sure are dressed funny for an angel."

"I'm not an angel," Hermione said gently, wiping her tears from her face. "I'm Hermione. What's your name?"

"Nice to meet you, Hermione," the girl said with a smile, holding out her hand. Hermione shook it. "My name is Sophia Isabella-." She paused. "Umm, Mum says I'm not supposed to say my whole name. But you can call me Sophie."

"That's ok," Hermione said not wanting to scare her. "You have great manners," she said, referring to the handshake.

"Mum says I always have to be polite. My brother is very polite too and I want to be just like him," Sophie stated. "Except I don't want to be a boy!" She added laughing.

"No, you're a very pretty girl," Hermione agreed. "What's your brother's name?" she asked hoping to get more information.

"Umm," Sophie paused. "I'm not allowed to say."

"Ok," said Hermione, not wanting to push her. "How old are you and what are you doing here?"

"I'm 4 and 3 quarters and this is my room, silly!" Sophie laughed.

Hermione smiled back and looked around the room. Sure enough, she was sitting by the entrance of what looked to be a little girl's suite. In the middle of the room were two couches in front of a fireplace. There was a mini-kitchen with a table and chairs at one end of the room, and two doors were on the other end. One corner looked like a play area filled with lots of toys, including a rocking horse as big as a miniature pony and a small table with a full tea service. It looked more like a room for a little princess. So many questions popped up in Hermione's head.

"You have a lovely room," Hermione said.

"Do you want to see my bedroom?" Sophie asked excitedly, pulling Hermione towards one of the doors.

The child was impressively articulate for someone her age but Hermione knew she had to stop her or she wouldn't get any answers.

"Maybe in a minute," Hermione said with a smile. "How about we sit on the couch for now?"

Once they were settled, Hermione asked more questions.

"Sophie, do you live here? How did you get here?"

"Yes. My mummy brought me here. She said I need to stay with my brother for now because she was going to be very busy so he will take care of me. She bought me all this stuff so that it would seem just like my room in my other house. Sometimes, my brother buys me toys too. He also brings me chocolate and candy!"

"I see," said Hermione. "Why did you think I was an angel?"

"Well, I asked for one and I usually get what I want," Sophie said matter-of-factly. "See, my brother's been really sad lately and I wanted to cheer him up. He tries to be happy when he's around me but sometimes I catch him looking really sad. I thought an angel would help because that's what they do right?" She looked up at Hermione.

"Yes," Hermione agreed not wanting to disappoint the little girl. She still wanted to know what was going though. "So, what do you do all day?"

"Well, I'm not allowed to go out so I play here all day. Dobby brings me food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. My brother comes to see me sometimes during the day. He comes every night after dinner to play with me and help me get ready for bed. It's almost my bedtime so he should be here soon."

Hermione was about to ask her a question when the door opened.

"Granger?!"

"Malfoy?!"

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the delay but unfortunately school has been keeping me extremely busy. Please review! I'd really love to hear from you.


	13. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling nor do I own Harry Potter. See previous chapters.

_Last time:_

"_Granger?!"_

"_Malfoy?!"_

**Chapter 12**

"Hermione, I'd like you to meet my brother Draco," Sophie's polite introduction broke the tense silence. Her voice also broke Draco out of his shock.

"I think you should get ready for bed now," Draco said tightly looking down at Sophie.

"But –"

"Sophia Isabella, I'd like for you to go to your room and get ready for bed _now_ please," Draco said sternly.

"Okay," said Sophie reluctantly. "Goodnight Hermione! I hope you come visit me again."

Hermione was so engrossed with their exchange she was startled when she was addressed.

"Goodnight Sophie," Hermione answered slowly still looking at Draco's furious face. Frankly, she was a bit scared of the confrontation that would surely happen once Sophie was out of the room.

Once the little girl entered her room, Draco locked her door and cast a silencing spell on the room.

"I can't believe you'd do that! What if she needs help or something," Hermione admonished, trying to delay the inevitable.

"Not that it's any of your business but it's a one-way silencing charm. We can hear her but she can't hear us," Draco bit back. "Speaking of things that are none of your business, what are you doing here?"

"Me?! What are _you_ doing here?! Keeping a girl locked up! I didn't even know you had a sister! Does Dumbledore know about this?" Hermione asked, talking faster, her voice getting higher with agitation.

"Of course he knows!" Draco was yelling now. "You think I can hide a little girl in this castle without him knowing?!"

"You know what," He added in an exasperated tone. "Screw this. How much for your silence?"

"What?" Hermione asked, shocked.

"How much do I have to give you to make sure you don't go running to Scarhead?"

"I wasn't – I'm not –" sputtered Hermione indignantly.

"Well, in that case, the door is that way," Draco said pointing to the exit.

"I'm not leaving until I get some answers," Hermione declared stubbornly.

"Like I said, this is none of your business so you don't deserve any answers," Draco replied.

"Fine, I'll just have to ask Sophie when I come back then."

Hermione suddenly found herself pushed against the wall, with Draco's wand pointed at her throat.

"You will not come back here, do you hear me?" Draco said in a low voice.

"Why not?" Hermione glared back. "I'm not scared of you. Sophie invited me to come back."

"I do _not_ want my sister associating with mudbloods who aren't even good enough for pathetic Weasels."

_Slap!_

Draco's face stung as Hermione broke free from his grip and ran out the door.

oOoOoOoOo

Over the next couple of days, Hermione tried her best to ignore Malfoy. To her, it was as if he simply didn't exist. Surprisingly, he made this easy by ignoring her as much as she did him. His last words to her cut her deeply – mostly because she knew they were true. Then again, it was just Malfoy. He always knew the right words to say to bring her down. She should be used to that by now, used to dismissing anything that came out of his mouth, true or not. After all, it was just Malfoy. Other people would have had to dig deep in order to affect Hermione with their words. Even when they _did_ find something, they would've thought of the consequences, would've planned out their offense, would've made sure they really were mad at her and wanted to hurt her before hurling whatever they have out at Hermione. If other people had said that to her, Hermione would've taken it to heart. That person would've had to have been really malicious against her. Malfoy, on the other hand, just had a talent for finding the weakest spot in people and going after it. Whether or not he was truly malicious didn't matter, it just came naturally to him. So as much as it stung, Hermione refused to think about it anymore.

She considered going back to the room to visit Sophie. Malfoy or not, she felt sorry for the little girl who was confined to her little suite without anyone to play with. Not to mention that her only visitor happened to be a nasty brother. Also, Hermione was extremely curious to know more about Sophie's story. How did Malfoy have a sister no one knew about? Why was she at Hogwarts? Had she been here the whole time or just this year? Why was Dumbledore allowing this? So many questions kept running through Hermione's mind, making her head spin and keeping her awake at night. This time, however, her curiosity did not get the better of her. She had wanted to go to that room so many times but Malfoy's face always stopped her. She would never tell him, but for an instantaneous moment when he first saw her in the room she saw something other than cold, blankness in his eyes. She saw panic. After a few moments, Malfoy put his walls back up so fast, she almost thought she didn't see anything. And when he pinned her against the wall, Hermione saw it again. Underneath the cold, hard fury, she saw a brief glimpse of desperation. Whatever was happening with his sister seemed to be extremely serious. Surprisingly, Malfoy seemed to care about his sister and Sophie didn't seem to be mistreated so Hermione was content to leave them alone. After all, she had enough drama in her life. She certainly did not want to be dragged into Malfoy's.

Draco, on his part, found it difficult to ignore Hermione. He wanted to confront her and make sure she never told anyone anything. But he knew that angering her might push her into telling someone. So he stopped any contact with her. He didn't even bother throwing petty insults her way just in case it provoked her to break her silence.

He was actually surprised she hadn't told anyone yet. He had expected her to go running to Potter who would then ruin everything by poking his head into Draco's business, all while letting everyone else know what was going on. Subtlety was never one of Potter's strong suits.

To say that he tensely watched Hermione like a hawk over the first couple of days after the incident would be an understatement. He was coiled so tightly he was surprised he didn't snap. Granger's every movement made him catch his breath and hold it, waiting for her to reveal everything she found out. But she never did. His heart had stopped the moment he opened Sophie's door and saw someone on the couch. Panic seized him. He thought it was over. His first thought was of Sophie and how he had failed her. When the figure turned around to reveal Granger, an inexplicable sense of relief went through him even though the shock had him reeling. The relief was short lived. Just because Granger was a noble Gryffindor didn't mean that she couldn't reveal his secret and ruin everything even with the best of intentions. He wouldn't go so far as to feel guilty for what he said but even _he_ knew he shouldn't have said it. It's just that Granger always managed to get under his skin and rile him up and the desperate situation didn't help matters much. He thought his sister was in danger for Merlin's sake! He had to protect Sophie at all costs and Granger wouldn't have left them alone. He had to shut her up and it just came out. Then she had the nerve to slap him! What was with that girl and hitting his face?

After she left, Draco knew he was done for. He knew that she was running to Potter screaming bloody murder as he stood there watching the door. He didn't sleep a wink the whole night and when nothing happened the following morning, he didn't quite believe that she hadn't told anyone and so he had kept a close watch on her for any sign that she did. When, after a few days, it seemed like she decided to keep her mouth shut and leave them alone, Draco started to finally relax. He would've been happy to pretend the whole thing never happened if it wasn't for his annoying little sister.

oOoOoOoOo

"Granger, wait!"

It was a cold Saturday morning and Hermione was on her way to the library. Most of the students were enjoying another Hogsmeade weekend. Harry and Ginny had invited her to come with them but she knew they wanted to go out on a date and have some time alone so she declined saying she needed to study. She was on her way to the library when she thought she heard Malfoy's voice. Since nothing good ever came out of conversations with Malfoy, she kept walking. Unfortunately for her, Malfoy was considerably taller than her and much faster and in shape so he had no problems catching up to her.

"I know you heard me Granger. Don't make me pull you into a classroom," Draco stood in front of Hermione blocking her way.

"What do you want Malfoy?" Hermione huffed.

"I need to talk to you," Draco said tightly. "In private," he added when Hermione arched her eyebrow.

Against her better judgment, Hermione followed Draco into a deserted classroom. After locking the door and casting numerous silencing spells on the room Draco finally faced her.

"This better be good Malfoy," Hermione said.

"Are you worried your precious books are getting lonely without you?" Draco sneered.

_Damn it Draco! Can't you stop the word vomit for once?_

"I'm not going to sit here and listen to this," Hermione declared walking over to the door.

"No, please stop," Draco called out as she reached the door.

Hermione stopped not so much because he said so, but because he said _please_. She turned around and raised her eyebrows questioningly at Draco.

Draco sighed and perched himself on a desk. "She won't stop," Draco started.

"Sophie?" Hermione asked moving back into the room.

"No, McGonagall. Of course, Sophie!" Draco confirmed. He continued before Hermione was able to explode indignantly. "She won't stop asking for you. I've tried everything! I bought her toys, chocolates, anything to distract her but it's always 'When's Hermione coming back?' 'I want to play with Hermione.' 'Can't you invite her over?'" Draco looked up at Hermione. "Lately it's escalated to temper tantrums and crying fits. She won't stop unless you come visit her!"

"What do you want me to do about it?" Hermione asked enjoying Draco's obvious distress. "You said I wasn't _good enough_ to visit your sister. You wouldn't want your sister associating with _Mudbloods_ would you?" It was Hermione's turn to sneer.

"I take that back okay? It just came out. You scared the shit out of me when I saw you there," Draco countered. "It seems you're the only one who can make her happy. You wouldn't want to disappoint a little girl do you?"

"A for effort Malfoy but your Slytherin tactics aren't going to work on me. It would take more than just concern for Sophie to get me to agree to what you want."

Draco could almost see the wheels turning in her head and honestly, he was scared. "Name your price," he sighed.

"It's not much. I want an apology," Hermione told Draco.

Draco sighed again. "I'm sorry okay? Like I said, I didn't mean it and it just came out. There. Can we go see Sophie now?" He made his way to the door.

"Not so fast." Draco could almost hear the faint smile that was on Hermione's face. "I _also_ want to hear the _whole_ story of how Sophie came to be here," Hermione continued once Draco had turned around to face her.

"Well you see Granger, when a man and woman love each other _so_ much," Draco began earnestly.

"Malfoy," Hermione said warningly.

"Alright, alright, I'll tell you the whole story. But first we see Sophie."

* * *

A/N: Thanks for sticking with this story! Please, please, please review! It _really_ helps to keep me going. There are a lot of people who put this story into their Favorites list or their Story Alerts and I'm thankful and flattered but it would be great if you could also do a quick review. Just a little note telling me what you think of the story so far. Reviews really help a lot. For those of you who are just reading this story (I get way more hits than reviews), please drop even a quick line to tell me what you thought. Reviews make my day :) Cyber hugs from Draco and cyber cookies from me (chocolate chip) for all those who review.


	14. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling nor do I own Harry Potter. See previous chapters.

_Last time:_

"_Alright, alright, I'll tell you the whole story. But first we see Sophie."_

**Chapter 13**

"How am I supposed to get in?" Hermione asked as she followed Draco down the hall.

"I changed the charms so that the room will recognize your magical signature. You'll be able to see the door even if others can't."

"So basically, it's as if a secret keeper told me where Sophie was."

"Exactly."

oOoOoOoOo

"Hermione!"

Hermione almost fell over when Sophie launched herself in her arms as soon as they entered the suite.

"Why didn't you come visit me? Didn't I tell you to come visit? I got lots of new toys! C'mon, I'll show you," Sophie said excitedly, pulling on Hermione's hand.

"Slow down, Izzy," Draco admonished. "I got her to come here but you wouldn't want to scare her off by being demanding would you?"

Sophie let go of Hermione's hand and ran behind her towards Draco. "Thanks Drake!" she exclaimed giving Draco a hug. "Now I have a new friend and I promise I will never cry again. Never, never."

"Uh huh," Draco laughed, ruffling Sophie's hair as she let go to run back to Hermione.

"Izzy?" Hermione asked Draco.

"My nickname for her. Short for Isabella."

"C'mon Hermione, I want to show you my room," Sophie declared, pulling Hermione into her bedroom.

Inside was nothing short of every little girl's dream room. Everything was pink – from the light pink walls to the frilly bedspread to the large closet down to another couch and the cushions on the window seat. What got Hermione's attention was the beautiful mural on one of the walls of a princess in a garden with the castle in the background and the large bookshelf right beside it.

"You sure have a lot of books Sophie," Hermione observed.

"I love stories. My brother reads to me most of the time but he's starting to teach me how to read," Sophie said excitedly.

"That's great Sophie," Hermione said still reeling from the thought of Malfoy teaching a little girl to read. "I like to read too."

"Maybe you could read to me sometime."

"I'd like that," Hermione smiled.

"Let's go see my dolls."

oOoOoOoOo

Sophie had so much stuff to show Hermione, she didn't notice the time fly by. A couple of hours later, an exhausted Sophie fell asleep on Draco's lap, who was sitting on the couch the whole time enjoying the sight of Hermione being dragged from point A to point B. Hermione herself collapsed on the other couch. She watched as Draco gently fixed Sophie's rumpled dress and swept her hair from her face. The sight somewhat unnerved Hermione – Draco Malfoy seemed almost…human.

Malfoy must've felt her staring at him because he looked up and cleared his throat.

"She usually has a nap at this time of the day," He explained. "I should bring her to bed."

From the couch Hermione watched Draco carry Sophie to her bedroom and tuck her into bed.

_Who knew Malfoy could be something other than a prick._

Draco walked out of the room and into the little kitchen.

"Do you want anything to drink?" He asked, opening up the fridge.

"Some water would be nice thanks," Hermione replied.

Draco brought over 2 water bottles, handed one to Hermione and sat down on the opposite couch. A few moments of silence followed as Hermione drank.

"I hope she wasn't too much today. Sophie can be a handful," Draco said trying to fill the awkward silence.

"No, she's a lovely girl."

More silence.

"I suppose you want to hear the story now, huh?"

Hermione nodded.

"Frankly, I don't know where to start," Draco said, running a hand through his hair.

"Why don't you start from the beginning."

oOoOoOoOo

"Contrary to popular belief, my mother and father loved each other," Draco began. "But my father's devotion to the Dark Lord came between them."

"When the Dark Lord fell, Mother was overjoyed. I was a year old then and she saw it as another chance to start over as a real family. At first, Father was depressed and disappointed but eventually, things went back to the way they were between them before the Dark Lord entered the picture. Father was always cold and distant to me growing up, but it wasn't because he was inherently evil. It was just the Malfoy way. Malfoy men did not show affection because it's a sign of weakness and teaching your son affection would make him weak. Despite that, I could see that he loved my mother. Mother tried to make up for it when my father went away on business trips. She tried to show me she loved me in her own way but I was too stubborn to see it. I was a Malfoy and I wanted to be just like my father – just like him and all the other great Malfoy men before him."

Hermione thought she heard a trace of bitterness in the last sentence but didn't comment. Draco continued.

"The day Mother found out she was pregnant with Sophie was the day our idyllic life, if you could call it that, started to unravel."

oOoOoOoOo

_Narcissa looked at the pink glow that surrounded her flat stomach. _

"_A daughter!" she thought. "Oh how exciting!"_

_She spent the rest of the day planning an extravagant dinner to tell Lucius the news…_

"_Cissa! I have great news!" Lucius called out when Narcissa met him as he entered the front door._

"_I have exciting news as well," Narcissa beamed. "You first."_

"_You'll never guess who is going to Hogwarts with Draco in September."_

"_Who, darling?"_

"_Harry Potter!"_

_Narcissa's face fell as she realized what this meant. She tried to keep her composure and established her cool mask. "Who?"_

"_Potter! You know, that nasty little runt who reduced the Dark Lord to nothing," Lucius explained as they headed towards the dining room where Narcissa's feast was waiting. "Eleven years and we found him at last! The old coot just couldn't resist bringing the golden child to Hogwarts. And that's not even the best part."_

"_Oh?" Narcissa asked distantly as they sat down._

"_You'll never guess what they're hiding at the school this year – the Philosopher's Stone!"_

"_That's great dear," Narcissa said feigning mild interest even though she was getting more nervous by the minute. Contrary to popular belief, Narcissa Black Malfoy was not just another dimwitted trophy wife. She knew what the stone meant even before Lucius elaborated._

"_Don't you see Cissa? This is it! This is our ticket to bring the Dark Lord back! Quirrel has already taken a position at the school and once they have the stone, they can take a quick detour in the castle, kill Potter and then nothing will stand in the Dark Lord's way!"_

_At that moment, Draco walked in for dinner._

"_Ah, Draco just who I was looking for," Lucius said._

"_Yes father?" Draco asked as he sat down._

"_There's a boy who will be in your class at Hogwarts, a boy named Harry Potter," Lucius grinned maliciously. "I want you to be friends with him."_

"_Yes father."_

_That was when Narcissa knew that she couldn't tell Lucius about her pregnancy. If the Dark Lord came back to power, shielding her children was one thing. But when Lucius started to involve Draco in Deatheater schemes, she knew she couldn't tell him. It was too late for Draco. Narcissa would do everything in her power to make sure her son stayed safe but she would not subject her daughter to the same fate. _

oOoOoOoOo

"So my mother hid her pregnancy," Draco continued. "She cast disillusionment charms to hide her swelling stomach. The month before she gave birth, she told my father she was going off on a holiday. My father was so concentrated on the Dark Lord's return he agreed without really caring where my mother went. So my mother went off to France where she had Sophie in April of 1st year. She had Sophie in a muggle hospital so that her birth wouldn't be traced. My mother stayed with Sophie in a villa in the south of France. She occasionally apparated back to England to keep up appearances. For almost 4 years, my father was under the impression that my mother simply liked to visit and stay with her friends in France. Had he looked closer, he would've noticed that she spent too much of her time away from home. For her part, my mother made sure she was there whenever my father required it and luckily, my father was too busy with the Dark Lord's business, he didn't bother keeping track of where she was. Fate had a way of working out so that Sophie grew up with my mother by her side."

"You're mother is so brave," Hermione reflected. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Did you always know about Sophie?"

"I met Sophie the summer between 2nd and 3rd year. She was a little bit more than a year old," Draco slightly smiled remembering. "Mother wasn't planning on telling me about Sophie at all. She was afraid for Sophie's safety. And she had every right to be." Draco looked at Hermione then. His eyes were so sad, so haunted when he said that last sentence, Hermione wanted to comfort him. But she was Granger and he was Malfoy and that just didn't happen.

"I wanted so much to be like my father," Draco's tone turned pensive. "I tried to talk like him, walk like him, act like him – be a proper Malfoy. I worshipped the ground he walked on. My mother saw that. She was afraid that if she told me, I would tell Father and all would be lost. I probably would have too. I even wanted to be a Deatheater," Draco laughed darkly. "If being a powerful Malfoy meant becoming a Deatheater, then I wanted to be one too. I believed everything they said. Everything about pureblood supremacy and the need to purify the wizarding world." Draco paused. "You look shocked Granger."

"Yes, but not for the reason you think," Hermione answered.

"Oh?"

"I understand how you could've been brainwashed because of your adoration for your father. What shocks me is that you're using past tense. And from what I can see," Hermione said looking at Draco's rolled up sleeves and unmarked arms. "You're not a Deatheater. And it seems like you don't believe in this crap anymore. So what changed?"

Draco was shocked at Granger's quick pick-up though he tried not to show it. He thought he would have a hard time convincing her that he wasn't a Deatheater – not that he would've bothered or anything. "2nd year," he said matter of factly.

"2nd year?"

"Yeah the whole Chamber of Secrets deal. Don't get me wrong, I was glad that the basilisk was getting rid of mudbloods," Draco said and quickly added at Hermione's outraged face. "Hold on Granger. Don't get your knickers in a twist."

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"As I was saying," Draco continued. "As glad as I was that the mudbloods were getting what they deserved, I still wanted to know what was going on. Target or not, something was going on in this school and I wanted to find out what. I wasn't going to get caught off guard if something happened or worse, I wasn't going to take the fall for something I didn't do. Heir of Slytherin, indeed. As flattering as that was, it started to get people wary of me. Even Crabbe and Goyle were getting suspicious."

At this point Hermione snickered. Draco chose to ignore it.

"Anyway, I started researching this so called 'Heir' everyone was talking about. After a couple hours, anyone with half-a-brain could see that the heir was obviously the Dark Lord."

Hermione was stunned at how quickly he figured it out.

"That made me even happier. I mean, being a Malfoy and future loyal Deatheater, he obviously wouldn't hurt me. I even imagined him taking over the school, putting me in charge, and making Potter my personal slave. Don't laugh," Draco said when he noticed the beginnings of a smile on Hermione's face. "I was 12 ok?"

Hermione merely nodded, trying to keep herself from laughing.

"So anyway, everything was fine until I found something that literally changed my life."

Hermione stopped. "What did you find out?"

"The Dark Lord is a half-blood," Draco spat. "A stupid orphan who had to scramble his stupid name just to get away from his muggle father. That's when I realized what an insane hypocrite he was. Who was he to talk about blood purity when, by _his_ definition, he himself should be eliminated by his so-called 'cleansing'? And my father. My father, the great Malfoy that I looked up to, followed and groveled at the feet of this half-breed. A half-breed who couldn't even kill a 12 yr old child and had to live in a diary. I mean, what kind of twisted world was that? It sickened me. All my beliefs were shattered in that instant. I mean, if this maniac that ruled our lives didn't make sense, how was I supposed to believe anything anymore? I was so appalled I couldn't bear to look at my father anymore. I asked Father if I could go with Mother to France on the pretense that I wanted a holiday. Once we arrived in France, I was so confused that I told my mother everything. She confirmed what I found out and explained to me what she wanted to teach me the whole time – that blood didn't matter. At first it was hard to believe. After all, the fact that I was superior was ingrained in me everyday since childhood – it had become a part of who I was. But slowly, my mother patiently showed me the truth. She told me how Ben, my best friend when I was little, was a muggle. I had always wondered what happened to him. I was told he moved away. I guess my father found out and forbade my mother from letting me play with him. She told me how Snape, my godfather who I also looked up to was a half-blood. All of this stuff made me think. If people I had considered equals, and in some cases looked up to, turned out to not be purebloods, then who's to say that blood mattered? I mean, if a half-blood can get a bunch of the most powerful purebloods to serve him then obviously _pure_ blood didn't do anyone any favours. And as I started to think more, I started noticing cracks in my father's principles, including you."

"Me?"

"Here you were, a muggleborn, a _mudblood_ who was supposedly beneath me in every way. Yet, you were always top of every class, you performed every spell perfectly before I did, and, with the exception of flying, was basically better at everything than me! Logically, blood obviously has nothing to do with it. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I was being fed bullshit my whole life."

"Then why do you still act like such a jerk?" Hermione asked in shock. Then she realized what she just said. "I mean, I didn't mean for it to come out that way –"

"No, you're right," Draco said.

"Excuse me? Can you say that again?"

"You're right," Draco glared at her. "But I'm still a Malfoy. My pride wouldn't let me suddenly roll over and play nice with you 3. More importantly, I had to keep up the façade that I wanted to be a Deatheater, for my mother's, and now Sophie's, safety. Once my mother realized that I didn't buy my father's crap anymore and that she can trust me, she introduced me to Sophie and told me about the need to keep her secret. Obviously, when I went back to the manor, I had to pretend like nothing's changed or else my father would get suspicious. It's been that way ever since."

"That still doesn't explain why Sophie's here and not with your mother in France."

"This summer, fate threw another curve ball at us," Draco explained. Hermione nodded. She knew all about curve balls. "After the _incident_ in the ministry," he looked pointedly at Hermione. "The Dark Lord decided to grace us with his presence and make the Manor his headquarters. Before you make a fool of yourself," Draco paused hearing Hermione's sharp intake of breath. "Dumbledore knows all this already so there's no point acting like Christmas came early."

"Anyway," he continued. "Having _guests_ in the Manor, means that my mother would have to stay there the whole time and entertain them. Obviously, this means she can't stay with Sophie in France. She very well can't leave Sophie with anyone else as I'm sure you can appreciate the grave danger of that set-up. So we had no choice but to hide her here where I can look after her and make sure she remains happy and oblivious of how her family is falling apart."

Once again, Hermione had to suppress the urge to comfort the boy in front of her. A boy who, like Harry, had to grow up too fast and carry such heavy burdens.

"I don't want, or need your pity Granger," Draco said as if reading her mind.

"I wasn't going to give it Malfoy," Hermione replied.

"Whatever," Draco dismissed her. "In any case, aside from my mother and myself, and now you, only Snape and Dumbledore know about Sophie so I would thank you to keep your mouth shut. I don't think I need to emphasize how dangerous this would be if anyone found out. Rest assured Granger, my father would not hesitate to kill Sophie if he found out."

Hermione gasped. "Surely, he wouldn't kill his own child."

"Why not? He already condemned one to death," Draco said. Again, there was such a haunted look in his eyes, Hermione couldn't help but want to reach out. She was about to lean forward when…

"Drake?" Sophie's sleepy voice broke the spell.

"Hey Izzy, had a good nap?" Draco turned to Sophie with such a different, cheerful tone, it made Hermione's head spin.

"Uh huh," Sophie turned to Hermione. "Oh good, you're still here. We can go play some more."

"Actually, I think it's almost time for dinner," Draco interrupted her before she got too excited. "Why don't you go wash up and get ready."

"Okay," Sophie pouted. "You're gonna come back and visit me right?" she asked Hermione.

Hermione looked at Draco questioningly.

"As long as she wants you to, you can come back anytime you want Granger," Draco said tiredly.

"Sure," Hermione replied to Sophie.

"Promise?" Sophie's cute face was too hard to resist.

"Promise."

Sophie beamed. "Okay, goodbye Hermione. It was nice playing with you. I have to wash up for dinner now. See you next time!" With that she ran off to the bathroom.

"Oh! Dinner! What time is it?" Hermione asked Draco. She got so caught up in his story she totally didn't notice the time.

"You have about half an hour before dinner. Don't worry, I'm sure the Hogsmeade people are just getting back now," Draco assured her.

"Well, uh," Hermione stammered. "I should be going now. I'll, uh, see you around."

"Oh and Granger," Draco's voice stopped Hermione from opening the door. "Thank you."

Hermione, knowing how hard it was for Malfoy to thank her, nodded in acknowledgement and walked out the door.

* * *

A/N: There you have it folks – Sophie's story. As always, thanks for reading and please, _please_ review! I have over 1,000 hits on this story but only 23 reviews so _please_ let me know what you think!

Also, I'm trying something new – I created a facebook account for my penname. If you want to contact me or know more, you can add me as a friend. I might post things to update my profile, random thoughts, etc. For example, if you look at my author profile, I obviously created it before Breaking Dawn came out so I'm planning to post what I thought of Breaking Dawn on facebook at some point soon. I tried creating an account before but facebook deleted it so please add me so that hopefully facebook won't delete it this time.

Because facebook deleted my whole penname last time, it's now under Elizabeth Mal. So search "Elizabeth Mal" – this will give you tons of hits so narrow it down to the "Portsmouth" network. So please add me, tell me who you are on this site (if you have a username), and I won't even contact you if you don't want me too :D Thanks!


	15. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling nor do I own Harry Potter. See previous chapters.

_Last time:_

"_Oh and Granger," Draco's voice stopped Hermione from opening the door. "Thank you."_

_Hermione, knowing how hard it was for Malfoy to thank her, nodded in acknowledgement and walked out the door._

**Chapter 14**

It would be nice to say that things changed between Draco and Hermione after the day he told her about Sophie. However, real life was rarely that simple. Malfoy was just as mean to her as ever and Hermione simply dealt with it as she usually did. Hermione still remembered the first time they saw each other after she left the room…

_Hermione was walking to class with Harry when she bumped into someone and fell to the ground._

"_Watch it Mudblood!" Draco sneered at her from above._

_Hermione was so surprised at his hostile tone, she just stared at him for a few moments. While Draco kept the sneer painted on, his eyes begged Hermione to not let anything slip._

"You_ watch it Ferret!" Hermione exclaimed once she regained her composure._

"_Are you alright Hermione?" Harry asked helping Hermione up._

"_Yeah," Hermione assured him. "Clearly, this hallway isn't big enough to let Malferret and his big head to walk by without hitting something."_

_At that the Gryffindors in the hall sniggered._

"_Well maybe, if you just stop trying to pull that stick out of your ass for a moment you might actually be able to watch where you're going," Draco countered._

_It was the Slytherins' turn to laugh._

_Luckily, the bell rang to signal the start of class, preventing the situation from escalating._

Hermione sighed. Who was she kidding? She didn't honestly expect anything to change did she? And Malfoy had his reasons. After all, he still had to protect Sophie.

_Sophie._ Hermione sighed. She had tried to delay visiting the little girl because of her brother. She didn't know what to expect if she came into the room and found Malfoy there. The end of their conversation was awkward enough and Hermione did not want to relive the experience. Nonetheless, she _did_ promise Sophie she'd come back and she supposed now was as good a time as any. She only hoped that Malfoy wasn't there.

When Hermione walked into the suite, the place was quiet. She breathed a sigh of relief thinking Draco wasn't there. Her relief was short lived when she heard Sophie scream. Alarmed, Hermione ran to the open door of her bedroom. The sight in front of her stopped her in her tracks.

"Oh no, the dragon is getting closer!" Malfoy, _the _Draco Malfoy was currently chasing a little girl around a pink bedroom while imitating a fire-breathing dragon, claws and all.

"Ahh!" Sophie squealed with delight. She climbed onto her bed where Draco finally caught her.

"Got you!" He declared with a smile. "Where is the prince that will save the fair princess from the evil dragon?" He asked as he tickled Sophie who was giggling and laughing.

Hermione wouldn't have been able to move even if a Hungarian Horntail was right behind her. She had never seen Draco Malfoy smile. She had seen him smirk, sneer, snigger – everything but truly smile. His smile lit up his whole face and transformed the hard angles so that Hermione saw a 16 year old boy and not the devil incarnate. Not that she was suddenly falling in love or anything. That would just be stupid. But Hermione knew she was seeing something different. She was seeing Draco Malfoy with his guard down – shirt untucked, hair in disarray, no pretenses, and no walls. It felt so private, Hermione felt like she was intruding.

The sudden silence made Hermione realized that Draco had looked up and seen her staring. Their eyes locked for an infinitesimal moment before Sophie thankfully broke the silence.

"Hermione!" She called as she realized the reason her brother stopped.

"Hey Sophie," Hermione smiled. "It looks like you and your brother are quite busy so I'll come back another time," she said, hoping to get out of the situation.

"Nonsense Granger," Draco interrupted her. "I have some homework I have to finish anyway." Draco stood up and got off the bed.

"Granger?" Sophie asked looking between Hermione and Draco.

"It's, erm, my nickname for her," Draco explained.

Hermione wanted to snicker at the thought of Malfoy giving her a nickname that wasn't derogatory but she kept her face impassive.

"I'll see you later Sophie. Be good," Draco said as he walked towards the exit. "Granger," he acknowledged her with a nod of his head.

"So Sophie," Hermione began when Draco left. "What do you want to do today?"

oOoOoOoOo

Over the next few weeks, Hermione's life went on as usual. She went to her classes, hung out with Ginny (and Harry when he wasn't with Ron and Genevieve), studied, and did some research for the Horcruxes. She regularly went to see Sophie and was quickly becoming attached to the adorable girl. They would play with Sophie's many toys and often Hermione would read her stories. Sophie was quite the little actress and she would act out bedtime stories and fables of the wizarding world to a captivated Hermione who hadn't heard of most of them since she didn't grow up hearing them. While helping Sophie learn how to read, Hermione had a brilliant idea. She came back the next time with a box of books filled with muggle fairy tales and stories from Snow White and Sleeping Beauty to Aladdin and Peter Pan. She hoped that Malfoy didn't have any objections to her exposing Sophie to muggle things. Hermione half-expected Malfoy to be waiting for her when she came back the next time to give her an earful or at the very least send her a Howler. When he didn't do either, Hermione took it as a sign that he was okay with the situation. Speaking of Malfoy, Hermione still made every effort to avoid meeting him in Sophie's room. She only visited Sophie when she was fairly sure that Malfoy had class, quidditch practice, or was otherwise occupied. It seemed that Malfoy had a similar idea since they never crossed paths in Sophie's room again. Of course, they still saw each other in class and in the halls, where he was still Malfoy the Ferret and she was still Granger the Mudblood.

Hermione still thought of Cedric everyday but much to her chagrin, her daydreams were now interrupted with images of a smiling, carefree Draco Malfoy and his molten silver eyes that locked with hers. Whenever that happened, Hermione took it as a sign to focus back to the lesson in front of her or her homework at hand. She thanked her stars that her dreams were still only of Cedric because she wasn't sure she could handle seeing Malfoy in her sleep.

The day before Valentine's Day, Draco and Hermione were stuck on patrol duty together. Draco could've sworn Dumbledore had something to do with that week's Prefect schedule but refused to dwell on it. When they had reached a deserted hallway, Draco broke the tense silence with a question.

"Any plans for Valentine's Day Granger?"

_Calm down!_ Hermione's heart started to beat so rapidly, she was surprised Malfoy couldn't hear it. _Idiot! He probably just wants to mock your pathetic, dateless situation._

"No," Hermione said slowly, dreading the inevitable insult that was sure to follow.

"Good."

Hermione's stomach did a flip. "Good?" she asked. "What's it to you?"

"Actually, I was going to ask you a favour."

_Figures._ "Oh," she replied trying to hide the disappointment in her voice. _Disappointment? You know you're getting desperate when… What the hell is wrong with you? Get a grip Hermione!_

"I won't be back until late and I was hoping you can visit Sophie and put her to bed and stuff," Draco said. At Hermione's arched eyebrow he added, "I have to take Pansy out to dinner." Hermione's eyebrow rose even higher. "Get your mind out of the gutter Granger. Dinner, that's it. Pansy will try to make it more and prolong the agony, but I'll make sure it stops with dinner. That's why I'll be back late."

"You don't seem too excited to take Pansy out," Hermione observed. "Haven't you guys been together for a long time?"

Draco sighed. "It's just another of my many responsibilities."

Hermione didn't know what to say to that. She was however, glad to have something to do that night. Harry and Ginny were of course, going out, as was most of the student population. Hermione didn't think she could handle the stares of pity she would get if she stayed in her dorm room as the other girls got ready, nor would she be able to handle watching Genevieve primp herself for Ron without ripping the girl's hair out. It would definitely be an all-time low if she received a pity stare from Madame Pince if she chose to go to the library.

"Granger?" Draco's voice broke through her thoughts. "So, can you do it?"

"Sure, Malfoy."

oOoOoOoOo

After a painful date with Pansy, Draco headed to Sophie's suite to check on his sister. He expected Sophie to be asleep by this time. What he didn't expect, however, was for Hermione to still be there. As he looked into Sophie's bedroom he saw something that made him catch his breath. On her bed, Sophie was cuddled against a sleeping Hermione Granger with a book still open beside them. Sophie had her back to the door where Draco was while Hermione was facing him. The moonlight streamed through the bedroom window and illuminated Hermione's face, making her look ethereal. With her hair softly fanned out around her head, Granger looked almost…pretty. She had her arm protectively around Sophie and Draco couldn't help but think that she looked like she belonged there. Aside from Sophie, Draco had never seen anyone look so peaceful when they slept. Not wanting to disturb them, Draco used his wand to levitate the book back to the shelf and he summoned the blanket to cover both of them. He then quietly left the suite and walked back to his room.

oOoOoOoOo

"Cockroach clusters," Hermione said excitedly to the gargoyle guarding the Headmaster's office.

"Ah, Ms. Granger," Dumbledore greeted when Hermione reached the top of the stairs. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I think I know where to find a Horcrux," Hermione replied breathlessly.

"I hope you're not talking about Nagini because we certainly know where to find her," Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.

"Of course not!" Hermione looked affronted.

"I apologize Ms. Granger," Dumbledore said with a laugh. "I wasn't trying to insult your intelligence. I knew you meant a different one. You just look so serious and on edge, I had to lighten the mood. Have a seat. Lemon drop?"

Hermione shook her head politely as she sat down.

"Very well," Dumbledore said sitting down opposite her. "Now, tell me what you have found out."

"As you know, we have been researching the possible whereabouts of Voldemort's horcruxes. I read that heirlooms are extremely important to pureblood wizarding families and they are not only passed down from generation to generation but they are also extremely well-guarded. They are also usually kept in the family's ancestral home since the said home would already have numerous charms in place to prevent unwanted intruders from coming in. So I started thinking, since the pure Slytherin line had long since died out, which Pureblood family currently in existence would most likely have the locket?"

"And?" Dumbledore prompted.

"The Malfoys, of course!" At Dumbledore's questioning gaze, Hermione continued. "It all fits! In order to keep the bloodlines pure, pureblood families have been intermarrying for so long, everyone is related by one way or another. By this time, there's _bound_ to have been a Slytherin who had become related to the Malfoys. Who better than to keep the Slytherin family heirloom than the Malfoys themselves, one of the most elite pureblooded families in existence? Not to mention, Malfoy Manor is the oldest ancestral home still standing. The wards protecting that property are legendary and impossible to get through. Plus, since Voldemort's current headquarters is Malfoy Manor, I'm sure the extra Deatheater security doesn't hurt either."

If Dumbledore was surprised that Hermione knew the whereabouts of Voldemort's headquarters, he didn't show it.

"If Lucius Malfoy was entrusted with Tom Riddle's diary before, is it such a stretch to think that he may be in possession of another horcrux?" Hermione concluded.

After a few pensive moments, Dumbledore spoke. "I think you definitely have something there Ms. Granger. The question is, how would we get the locket? As you have pointed out, getting in and out of Malfoy Manor would be very difficult. "Ms. Granger," Dumbledore paused. He looked at Hermione closely. "How do you feel about going on a mission?"

* * *

A/N: *****IMPORTANT: Please READ!*****

First of all, thanks for all the support you've given and for reading this far. From the reviews and feedback (you see how important reviews are?) I've gotten, it seems like people like this story because it's unique and different from most Dramione fics out there. For this reason, people have also mentioned that they hope this story won't become cliché.

I just wanted to say that I'm trying **really** hard to keep this story unique and different from the other fics. With that said, please keep in mind that this _is_ a Dramione story so at some point, there would be moments where they get closer to each other or some fluff will happen here and there. The romantic aspects have to happen for the story to keep moving. On that note, there might be some parts in the future that might seem cliché or familiar. Because they're still in school and it's not a post-Hogwarts story, there's only so many ways and so much I can do in terms of what happens to them and how they get together, _if_ they get together, that hasn't already been done. This is not an excuse and like I said, I _am_ trying very hard to give this story more depth and keep it original.

All I ask is that if you see parts that you think might be cliché, let me know but **please** be patient and don't immediately give up on the story thinking it has become cliché or predictable. This is where reviews are really important. I know where I want the story to go and a general idea of what happens but if you have suggestions or ideas, feel free to let me know and I'll try to work with it. Like I said, I already have an outline so I can't guarantee that I'll agree to your suggestion but I will consider it. If anyone wants to beta this story, let me know. Of course, if you think that this story is not cliche at all or you like certain parts, please feel free to mention those in your review as well.

First and foremost I'm writing this story for myself but your thoughts mean a lot to me. I can't improve this story without your input so please review and let me know what I'm doing well, what I can improve on, etc. or any other thoughts. Again, thanks so much for sticking with me and I hope you keep reading until this story is finished.

As mentioned in the last chapter, you can also contact me on facebook under "Elizabeth Mal", narrow down your search to the "Portsmouth" network.

Thanks so much for reading!


	16. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling nor do I own Harry Potter. See previous chapters.

_Last time:_

"_Ms. Granger," Dumbledore paused. He looked at Hermione closely. "How do you feel about going on a mission?"_

**Chapter 15**

_Your mission should you choose to accept it…_

Hermione could hear the theme song to Mission Impossible in her head as she crept down the hallway of Malfoy Manor. Dressed in an elegant royal blue gown with Polyjuice giving her bright blue eyes and straight blonde hair, she felt more like a Barbie doll than a Bond girl.

_Focus, Hermione!_

The Malfoys were throwing an elaborate ball to celebrate the completion of the new wing of the Ministry of Magic they had helped fund. Voldemort was, of course, not in the manor that night as the most important ministry officials, the Minister of Magic, included, were invited to attend. Dumbledore saw it as the perfect opportunity for the Order to try to acquire Slytherin's locket since, as was mentioned, Voldemort wasn't present and neither were the more questionable (and often more violent) Deatheaters. After all, the Malfoys had to keep up appearances if Lucius was to keep his influence.

The plan was simple: As part of the Ministry, Kingsley Shacklebolt was invited to the ball and he would bring Hermione (disguised as someone else, of course) as his date to let her gain entrance. As the party went on, she would slip away unnoticed to go look for the locket. A source had told them that the locket was kept in a secret compartment in the fireplace of a guest bedroom in the East Wing of the Manor. Once found, she was supposed to retrieve it, go back to the party and exit through the one-way floo the Malfoys had activated in the front room to allow guests to leave. To leave no tracks, she was to floo to the Leaky Cauldron where Tonks would be waiting for her to escort her back to Grimmauld Place.

At first, Hermione was reluctant to accept. Surely there were more skilled Order members than she. When Dumbledore explained the situation, she realized that she was the only one for the job. To minimize the risk of the information being leaked, only certain Order members knew about the Horcruxes – Dumbledore, Lupin, Mr. Weasley, Kingsley, Tonks and of course, the trio (and Genevieve). For obvious reasons Dumbledore couldn't go, Lupin was out of commission because of the full moon, and as a relative, Tonks couldn't go because the Manor would know her magical signature and detect her presence right away. Mr. Weasley and Kingsley were invited but because people knew them and knew they were there so they couldn't simply slip away unnoticed. Harry was too important to go and risk capture. And Ron…well, it takes 10 Rons to screw in a lightbulb. As for Genevieve, brilliant student that she is, she was yet untested in these situations. Besides, she merely knew about the Horcruxes because she happened to be in the right place at the right time. That left Hermione to the task and she had never said no to Dumbledore yet.

So they planned every detail, Hermione memorized the Manor's layout, and made contingency plans. Should anything go wrong, Mr. Weasley and Kingsley were there as her back-up. If for some reason the floo was unavailable, Hermione would return to Kingsley who would then excuse himself and both would leave the party. For added security, the coins Hermione developed for the DA were now used by the Order and Hermione would wear one that night to send a distress signal if needed. Everything was set up and planned down to the tiniest detail. Or so they thought…

Hermione quietly but quickly walked down the hallway following the map in her head. She finally saw the door of the guest bedroom she wanted at the end of the hall when a house elf rounded the corner and approached her.

"Miss looks lost," the house elf said in a mocking tone, reminding Hermione of Kreacher. "Can I help Miss look for something? Master would not appreciate having a _Mudblood_ wander the halls of the Manor. No indeed."

Unfortunately, a portrait nearby overheard the house elf before Hermione had a chance to stun the creature.

"A Mudblood in Malfoy Manor?!" The portrait screeched. "This is abominable, a disgrace –" Hermione silenced the portrait with a spell.

However, luck was not on her side. When the portrait screeched, 2 Deatheaters posed as guests happened to be walking by on their rounds and they were _bored_. At the mention of the word "Mudblood", they decided to have some fun. Before Hermione could react, the 1st Deatheater had stunned her while the other grabbed her by the waist and covered her mouth.

"Well, well, look what we have here," the 1st Deatheater said. He was tall, thin, and had short, dark, greasy hair framing a long face. He grinned maliciously.

The other one, also a man but with a larger build chuckled. He sniffed Hermione's hair. "Funny, you don't _smell_ dirty. But don't worry pet, we'll soon take care of that for you."

Both Deatheaters laughed. The thinner one spotted the coin around Hermione's neck. "Such an unusual necklace," he said. "I bet it could fetch quite a price," he said to his companion. Panicked, Hermione bit the other man's hand.

"Ow!" he exclaimed letting her mouth go. "Why you – "

"Let me go! I don't think Lucius Malfoy or the Minister would appreciate you harming one of their guests," Hermione said defiantly trying to keep her composure.

"Ay, this one's fiery!" the large one chuckled. "_Silencio_! _Petrificus Totalus!_" He held Hermione tighter and whispered against her ear. "Lucius Malfoy would not care about the well being of some mudblood and the _Minister_," he continued with a sneer. "Is too busy mingling and getting drunk to notice."

The thin one ripped the necklace off Hermione's neck causing her to gasp. "You won't need this where we're taking you," he said, taking Hermione's only means to call for help.

oOoOoOoOo

Meanwhile, Tonks waited for Hermione at the Leaky Cauldron. When the girl didn't arrive after Tonks waited for the allotted time, she assumed that the floo was unavailable and Hermione had left with Kingsley. She proceeded to meet them at Grimmauld Place.

At the party, Kingsley looked at his watch. When he didn't hear anything from Hermione after a certain time, he assumed that all went well. After a few moments, he excused himself and apparated to Grimmauld Place. After seeing Kingsley leave, Mr. Weasley followed him soon after.

oOoOoOoOo

Back at Grimmauld Place, Harry and Dumbledore waited anxiously for Hermione to arrive. At first Harry was outraged that they were willing to put Hermione in such a dangerous position. Like Hermione, he eventually saw that there was no other choice. However, that didn't stop him from worrying about her. He expected Ron and Genevieve to jump at the chance to wait for Hermione with him at Grimmauld Place. When he told them of the plan, Ron looked at Genevieve who then said, "We're just as worried about Hermione as you are Harry but we can't all go."

"People will know something's up if all 4 of us suddenly disappeared," she reasoned. "The Deatheaters could be alerted and Hermione will be in even more danger."

Harry couldn't argue with her logic.

_Pop!_

The sound of someone apparating made Harry look up.

"Is she here yet?" Tonks asked. At their negative answer, Tonks added, "She must be with Kingsley then."

_Pop!_

"Is Hermione here?" Kingsley asked. At which point, Harry jumped up.

"What do you mean 'is she here'? She's supposed to be with you!" Harry yelled.

oOoOoOoOo

Hermione woke up with a crick in her neck. She was a bit disoriented when she looked around and found herself in a dark, musty room. When she felt the silk bodice of the gown she was wearing, her memories came flooding back. Before she had time to gather herself, she heard footsteps. A sliver of light revealed that she wasn't in a room, but in a cell. The thin Deatheater who attacked her had come back.

"Get up mudblood," he commanded. When Hermione looked up, he gasped in surprise, then a wide smile slowly spread across his face. "Well, well, isn't _this_ rather exciting?"

_Shit!_ Hermione thought as she noticed the brown curls on her shoulder.

The effect of the Polyjuice had run out.

oOoOoOoOo

"My Lord," the thin Deatheater nervously addressed a figure nearly hidden in black robes talking to Lucius Malfoy. "I think there's something you should see."

"What is it now Avery?" an exasperated, snake-like voice asked. The figure turned around making Hermione's blood run cold. Voldemort spotted her right away. "Ah, Ms. Granger," he hissed. "So nice of you to join us." He turned to Avery and obtained his account of what happened. "I think a celebration is in order, don't you? We have quite the celebrity in our midst. Call the others in here now."

"Ms. Granger," Voldemort turned his attention back to Hermione, his slit-like red eyes narrowing menacingly. "We can make this easy or we can make this hard. Why did you come to the Manor tonight?"

Hermione didn't answer. More Deatheaters had entered the room.

"Ms. Granger, I'm asking you a simple question. Why were you at the Manor tonight?" When Hermione remained silent, Voldemort became mad. "Do you like pain Mudblood? _Crucio!"_

Indescribable pain she's never felt before shot through Hermione making her gasp. Her nerves felt like they were on fire and at the same time she felt like she was being stabbed with a thousand knives.

At this point Draco entered the room after being summoned by his father. He was shocked and disturbed to see Granger writhing in pain on the floor. Still, she refused to cry out.

Voldemort stopped the curse. He levitated Hermione off the floor and forced her to face him. "I'll ask you again. What were you looking for?!"

"Go to hell," Hermione said insolently, breathing heavily.

"_Crucio!_"

Again, Granger fell to the floor, shaking in pain, still refusing to cry out.

Voldemort cursed her over and over again. Still, Hermione refused to cooperate. Draco couldn't help but admire her stubbornness.

"I see," Voldemort hissed after using the Unforgivable numerous times. "If the curse won't work on you, I'll just have to get it directly from the source. _Legilimens!_"

Hermione felt the spell tug on her mind and with great effort she put up a wall to block it. Voldemort grinned when he felt her block and narrowed his eyes. Hermione felt Voldemort pushing harder and harder against the wall in her head. Weakened from numerous rounds of the Cruciatus, Hermione couldn't hold out for much longer. When Voldemort delivered the final push that finally broke through her wall, Hermione threw the first memory she thought of that was unrelated to Harry or the Order. Voldemort suddenly withdrew from her mind laughing. The memory was of Cedric holding Hermione by the lake as they enjoyed the afternoon sun.

"Ah," Voldemort said with an inspired, manic grin.

For the first time that whole night, Draco saw real fear pass through Hermione's wide eyes.

"Now Mudblood," Voldemort continued still sneering. "It's _my_ turn to show you something." Voldemort locked eyes with Hermione and the night of Cedric's death from his point of view played through Hermione's head.

A terrible agonizing scream ripped through Hermione's throat and she passed out.

oOoOoOoOo

That night, Draco quietly crept down to the dungeons. He immobilized and stunned the two Deatheaters guarding Hermione's cell and quieted their fall.

"_Lumos."_

With the small light from his wand, Draco was disturbed to see the normally strong Hermione curled up into a ball with tears quietly streaming down her face.

"Granger," Draco said quietly hoping to gain her attention. He entered her cell and approached closer when she didn't respond. "Granger!" He whispered urgently, kneeling down in front of her. He held her chin and tilted her face up, forcing her to look at him. She gazed unseeingly through him and he was shocked at the emptiness in them. "Hermione," he murmured softly.

Her name seemed to pull her out of her stupor. Her eyes focused on his. "Malfoy?" she asked weakly.

"Yes," Draco said, breathing a sigh of relief. "I need to get you out of here but we need to move fast. Can you stand?"

Hermione tried with great effort but her legs felt like jelly. "I don't think so," she said weakly.

Draco picked her up and Hermione put her arms around his neck. They hurriedly made their way to the other end of the dungeon where Draco tapped a brick with his wand revealing a hidden staircase. He felt Hermione growing limp with exhaustion as he climbed the stairs.

"You have to stay with me Hermione," he pleaded. "You're almost home but you have to stay with me." Hermione weakly squeezed his shoulder. "That's it. Fight it."

They continued like this until the staircase ended and the wall opened, revealing what looked like Draco's bedroom. Draco carried Hermione over to the fireplace where he gently let her down into a standing position, with him still supporting her.

"I'm going to do an energy spell to give you a small boost so you can get through the floo ok?" Draco told her. Hermione nodded. With a wave of his wand, Hermione found just enough strength to stand up by herself. Draco threw a handful of floo powder into the fireplace and said, "Hogwarts!"

As Hermione turned to enter the fire, she felt something small pressed into her hands. Her eyes grew wide. "Thank you," she said softly before disappearing into the fire.

oOoOoOoOo

Back at Hogwarts, Minerva McGonagall was anxiously waiting for news from the Order in the Headmaster's office. Suddenly, the fireplace glowed green and who should come stumbling out but the missing girl herself, Hermione Granger! Hermione held out Slytherin's locket before promptly collapsing unconsciously on the floor.

* * *

A/N: Phew! That was quite the intense chapter and it took some effort to write. I tried to be nice and not end it earlier on a major cliffhanger. Won't you return the favour by reviewing?


	17. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling nor do I own Harry Potter. See previous chapters.

_Last time:_

_Hermione held out Slytherin's locket before promptly collapsing unconsciously on the floor._

**Chapter 16**

"I can't believe you left her there! I knew this was a bad idea. What the hell were we thinking letting her go!" Harry ranted as he paced back and forth across the room. He turned to face the others. "Well, what are we waiting for? We have to go there and save her!"

"Harry," Mr. Weasley said slowly, trying to calm him down. "We would all gladly give our lives for Hermione but recklessly attacking Malfoy Manor is not the way to go. We would be severely outnumbered and we would all surely die for no reason."

"Isn't Hermione a good enough reason?" Harry asked angrily.

"Of course she is," Mr. Weasley answered. "But we can't face Voldemort and his armies without a plan."

"Watch me." Harry declared, turning to walk out of the room.

Suddenly, the fireplace glowed green and McGonagall's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"She's here at Hogwarts!" McGonagall announced.

Whatever else she was going to say was interrupted by Harry who immediately threw floo powder in the fireplace and yelled "Hogwarts!" before disappearing into the fire.

"Where is she?" Harry asked as soon as he stepped out of the fire and into the Headmaster's office.

"Madame Pomfrey's looking after her in the hospital wing," answered McGonagall.

Harry did not wait for the others to arrive before he broke out into a run towards the hospital wing.

oOoOoOoOo

Draco Malfoy was in deep trouble. As he laid in bed after Hermione left, the seriousness of what he had done finally hit him. He had just helped a prisoner escape.

_If the Dark Lord found out_…Draco shuddered to think of the consequences. But he _had_ to do it. If he did nothing Potter would surely rush headlong into the Manor and it would be all too easy to kill the Boy-who-wouldn't-die. Where would they be then? So he _had_ to do it to protect his mother and Sophie. Unless he wanted Voldemort to rule, he didn't really have a choice.

At least, that's what he told himself. He refused to acknowledge that the sight of a broken and empty Hermione Granger in the dungeon scared him more than anything he ever experienced in his life. Or that her agonizing scream shook him to the core. It was so full of anguish; it was more like a desperate wail. He didn't know what Voldemort showed her but he knew he would do anything to never hear her scream like that again.

oOoOoOoOo

Hermione opened her eyes to find a black mop on the side of her bed.

"Harry?" she croaked weakly.

"Oh Hermione!" Harry sat up and quickly enveloped her in a hug.

"Um, can't-breathe," Hermione said. Harry quickly loosened his hold and sat back down by her bedside.

"Merlin, Hermione, I thought I lost you," Harry said looking at her intensely. "I am _so_ sorry. I shouldn't have – It's not worth – "

"It's alright Harry," Hermione soothed. "I'm right here. I'm alright. How long have I been asleep?"

"3 days," Harry said somberly.

"And the locket?"

"Dumbledore destroyed it."

Harry put his head back down on the bed. "When you went missing –," he mumbled. "I don't know what I would've done without you. You're my family, you know that right?" Harry looked up and tears were running down his cheeks. Hermione lifted her hand to gently wipe them away.

"I know Harry," Hermione said holding on to his face. "Listen to me. What happened wasn't your fault. It was my choice to go to the Manor and things just went wrong. There are just some things we can't control."

"I know, but I shouldn't have dragged you into this mess. This is my fight – "

"No Harry," Hermione interrupted him. "This is my fight too. I'm in this with you and I'm not leaving you even if you want to kick me out. If Voldemort comes after you, he has to deal with me too. We're a package deal. We both know I'm smart enough to make my own decisions so no more of this blame game alright?"

Harry nodded. "I know I haven't been the best friend I could be lately. It feels like I've barely seen you at all this year. But I hope you know you're very important to me. I don't know what I would do without you or Ron. Speaking of Ron, I know this is probably not the best time, but I had a lot of time to think the past 3 days and I wondered what had happened between you two. You were perfect for each other and finally you were together, then suddenly you break up. You don't even talk to him anymore."

"First of all, we've all just been really busy this year, what with OWLS, my Prefect duties, your Quidditch practices, and now Voldemort's Horcruxes – we just have a lot on our plates. Although we've only hung out a few times this year I really hope you know that you're important to me too.

As for Ron, we were _hardly_ perfect for each other. Even as friends we were constantly at each other's throats." Hermione laughed, trying to hide the hurt she felt at Ron's betrayal. "Even _you_ have to admit that we only got together because it was what was expected." She sighed. "Not getting Head Girl was a shock and it forced me to reevaluate a lot of things. My relationship with Ron was one of them. I realized that it would never have worked out between us. We just don't _fit_. So I broke things off. He felt the same way and so we were both alright with it." Hermione tried not to look at Harry in the eye, afraid that he'd see right through her if she did. "Not speaking to him isn't intentional. Like I said, we've all just been really busy. Now," Hermione continued trying to change the subject. She looked at Harry's disheveled clothes and the bags under his eyes. "Please tell me you haven't been sitting here for 3 days waiting for me to wake up."

Harry looked down sheepishly.

"Well, as you can see I'm quite alright so go take a shower and get something to eat. I'm sure Ginny misses you as well."

"Actually Ginny's been here as much as she could. She just left to grab me some food."

As if on cue, Ginny walked into the room. When she saw that Hermione was awake she almost dropped her tray but caught it just in time. She ran up to the bed, handed the tray to Harry and gave Hermione a hug.

"Hermione! How are you feeling? Does anything hurt? Oh you were out for days! We were so worried!" Ginny said, reminding Hermione of a flustered Mrs. Weasley.

"Ginny slow down," Hermione said. "I'm alright. I was just telling Harry here he should go have a shower."

"Yes you should," Ginny said turning to Harry. She went back to Hermione. "He stayed here for 3 days straight. He was so worried about you. He definitely needs a bath."

"Hello? Still here," Harry huffed but he was smiling.

"I would've been here too but Dumbledore forced me to go back to Gryffindor tower and attend my classes as usual," Ginny continued. "He made Harry go back to class too but he was so distracted during Charms he almost set Seamus on fire. Luckily it was just his robes and Flitwick was able to put it out quite quickly. But after that, Dumbledore knew it would do more harm than good to keep him away from you."

"I seriously hope you're not jealous Ginny," Harry said jokingly giving her a kiss on the lips.

"Of course not," Ginny replied. "But eww, please brush your teeth before you do that again. And you _really_ need a shower." She laughed earning a swat from Harry. "But all joking aside, I totally understand. I'd be here too if one of my brothers was in a coma. Well, maybe not Percy."

"Speaking of the Weasley boys, where's Ron? He'd probably like to know Hermione's awake," Harry asked.

"He's in the library with Genevieve researching some more. After you got the locket they're more determined than ever to find the other horcruxes quickly before Voldemort finds out," Ginny answered.

"Ah, I see Ms. Granger is awake." Dumbledore walked in the room then with Madame Pomfrey beside him. Madame Pomfrey then proceeded to check her vitals. "Is it alright to ask her a few questions?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes, but only for a few minutes. I don't want to tire her out," Madame Pomfrey stated.

"First of all Ms. Granger," Dumbledore began after Madame Pomfrey left. "Thank you for your brave efforts. Again, the Order and the wizarding world owe you a lot. As for me, I am extremely grateful and proud of you."

Harry huffed.

"Harry is still upset with me for letting you go on the mission in the first place Hermione," Dumbledore explained. "It was a mistake on my part that I deeply regret. No matter how capable you are, I should never have put you in such a dangerous situation."

"But sir, it was completely my choice to go and we planned everything as well as we could. Some things are just out of our hands."

"As true as that is, I still should not have put you in that position. I am only human and I greatly underestimated the danger of the set-up. We are all just thankful that you were able to come out of it. Speaking of which, would it be alright for you to tell us what happened?"

Hermione proceeded to tell them what happened in the Manor that night. As terrified as she was about the experience she tried not to show it and softened the story for Harry's sake. Because Madame Pomfrey had already detected it and treated her for it, she couldn't hide the fact that Voldemort used the Cruciatus on her numerous times. She _did_, however, hide the fact that he had used Legilimency on her and had showed her Cedric's death. She explained that she simply passed out under the strain of the Cruciatus and woke up in the dungeon.

"How did you escape?" Harry asked.

Hermione paused. She wasn't sure if Malfoy would want her to tell anyone what he did. "Dobby helped me," she replied.

"Dobby?" Harry asked his friend looking at her intently.

"Yes," Dumbledore answered for her. "Since Dobby knew the Manor inside and out, I thought he'd be the perfect candidate to help Ms. Granger out. As a former house-elf of the Manor, he could get in and out of it without a fuss. He obviously is not able to carry Ms. Granger out himself so he helped her floo back to Hogwarts."

Hermione was both surprised and thankful for Dumbledore's story.

Hermione confirmed the Headmaster's explanation and proceeded to tell them the rest of the story. "And the last thing I remember is McGonagall's face before waking up here."

"I guess I owe Dobby a big one," Harry said. Hermione hoped Dumbledore thought far enough to let Dobby know to corroborate the story.

Dumbledore turned to Harry and Ginny. "Now, I believe you have class in two minutes Ms. Weasley. And since Ms. Granger is obviously doing fine," Dumbledore looked at Harry, his eyes twinkling. "I believe Mr. Potter could do with a bath."

"I don't smell _that_ bad. But I'll go have one anyway. Are you sure you're alright Hermione? Do you want me to get you anything?"

"I'm fine Harry, thank you. Now go relax and have a shower. Madame Pomfrey says I should be able to leave soon so I'll see you when she lets me go alright?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Harry," Hermione laughed. "Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere. I love you but you need to leave me alone so I can get better. I'll see you guys when I get out okay?"

"Alright." Harry and Ginny both gave her a hug before they left leaving Hermione with the Headmaster.

"Now," Dumbledore began as soon as they were alone. "Are you prepared to tell me what _really_ happened that night?"

"I'm not sure how much of it is mine to tell sir," Hermione answered truthfully.

"Well, I don't want to push you but if it helps, I will tell you _my _side of the story."

Hermione unconsciously leaned in.

"I'm sure you are wondering how I was able to obtain the exact location of the necklace," Dumbledore began. "Despite the fact that I put you in such a dangerous position, I hope you know that I wouldn't have sent you in there without confirming your theory and knowing for a fact that the necklace was there."

"Of course not," Hermione said. "I _did_ however, wonder, how you knew with such certainty."

"I'm sure by now you know all about our little guest in the castle." It was a statement, not a question. "When Narcissa Malfoy asked for my help in protecting her child she decided to disclose all her concerns and anxieties. Most of all, she wanted to give her children a better future. Being a Black, she was also too proud to ask for any favours without offering something in return. Though I did not ask for anything, she found a way to achieve both her goals. She decided to be a spy for the Order."

Hermione stifled a gasp afraid to stop Dumbledore from talking.

"By doing so," Dumbledore continued. "She would be helping to rid the world of Voldemort, thus giving her children the future they deserve while at the same time, repaying me for the favour. Being the mistress of the family, she has access to information as important and as privileged as family heirlooms and where they are located. When I asked her about your theory, she looked into it and found the exact location of the locket."

Hermione was afraid to ask but she had to know. "What about her son, sir?"

"Ah, Mr. Malfoy is a complicated issue to be sure," Dumbledore replied looking at Hermione intently. "Obviously, his cooperation is vital to his sister's welfare here and so he was, of course, invited to discussions with me and his mother. Both he and his mother have assured me that he is in no way in league with Voldemort. However, this does not mean that he has pledged allegiance to the Order either. Draco's loyalties lie with his mother and sister and theirs alone, which is fine. Loyalty to family is an admirable quality."

Now that she was sure Dumbledore knew of Malfoy's views on Voldemort, Hermione felt that it would be alright to tell him how she escaped.

Telling her story focused Hermione's thoughts back to Malfoy. "Um, is Malfoy here?" she asked. "I'd like to thank him for, you know, what he did," she added quickly to hide her anxiety.

"Mr. Malfoy has been excused by his parents for a few days," Dumbledore replied. "I'll probably have to find a temporary Slytherin Prefect to stand in for him since he will be unable to fulfill his _duties_." At this, Dumbledore looked pointedly at Hermione. Hermione nodded imperceptibly. _Sophie._ "Now," Dumbledore said standing up from Hermione's bedside. "I believe we should let you get some rest."

oOoOoOoOo

A few hours later, after checking on her condition, Madame Pomfrey told Hermione she could go. Dinner was just about to start but Hermione didn't feel like facing everyone in the Great Hall just yet. She thought it was the perfect time to visit Sophie so she made her way to the hidden suite.

"Sophie?" Hermione called once she entered the room.

"Hermione!" Sophie ran out of her room and gave Hermione a hug.

Hermione hugged her tighter, glad that she was alright. "Oh, I missed you," she said setting Sophie down on the couch.

"I missed you too. Where have you been?"

"I've been sick for the past couple of days," Hermione answered with the story that she was supposed to tell everyone at school if they asked. "But I'm all better now."

"That's good. I was so bored when you didn't come visit."

"Sorry for the interruption Miss Sophie but dinner is ready," Dobby announced. He turned to Hermione. "Dobby put an extra place for Miss too."

"Oh, and Dobby is honoured to have helped Miss out of a scrape," he added in an undertone winking at Hermione.

"Thank you Dobby," Hermione replied giving him a smile.

Both girls went to the dining area and sat down to a dinner of Caesar salad and spaghetti and meatballs. Hermione didn't realize how hungry she was until she smelled the warm garlic bread.

"So Sophie," Hermione began once they were settled. "How have you been the past few days?"

"Alright," Sophie answered. "I read some of the books you gave me. I tried to read all of them but some of them were too hard. Dobby made sure I ate at the right times and Uncle Sev came over to visit a couple of times."

"_Uncle Sev_?" Hermione asked in disbelief at the thought of Snape looking after a little girl.

"My godfather. Yeah, he told me Draco was going to be away for a little while so he was checking in on me," Sophie explained. "He even brought me treats from Honeyduke's. He always gives me lots of stuff and Mum and Drake said that if I ever need anything to ask him."

oOoOoOoOo

"Hermione?" Sophie asked as the older girl tucked her into bed.

"Yes?"

"When is Draco coming back?"

"I don't know," Hermione replied trying to hide the worry in her voice. Ever since Dumbledore told her of Malfoy's absence she constantly feared for his safety. _What if he was being punished for helping her escape? What if Voldemort found out about the locket and found out Malfoy gave it to her? Would they kill him for it? Did they? What if – _

"I miss him," Sophie said softly, interrupting Hermione's anxious thoughts. Hermione focused back on Sophie.

"I know sweetie," she said giving Sophie a hug. "I'm sure he misses you too." Hermione gently smoothed Sophie's hair away from her face.

"Do you think he's okay?" Sophie mumbled as she was slowly lulled into sleep.

_I hope so._ "Yes," Hermione replied. "He just had to visit your mom so I'm sure he's alright."

_Surely Narcissa would've said something if something bad had happened?_ The thought did not make Hermione feel any better.

oOoOoOoOo

A few days went by and Draco still did not come back.

Hermione tried to get back to her studies and routines but worry for Malfoy constantly stayed in the back of her mind. They weren't exactly friends but they weren't simply enemies anymore either. He did save her life after all – twice. She found herself looking at the Slytherin table at mealtimes just to see if he had returned. She found herself searching for his signature blond hair in the hallway and she would whip her head around every time the door opened in class hoping he was the late student walking in.

At first Hermione chalked up her concern to the fact that he had saved her at the Manor. She was grateful and she feared for his safety because she would be responsible for the repercussions of his actions. She knew that on some level it was stupid. Malfoy didn't _have_ to save her. He had a choice in the matter. If he was punished for helping her it was because Voldemort was a bastard and not Hermione's fault. However, it didn't lessen her anxiety. Eventually she realized that her concern was only partly because of her gratitude. She realized that she was actually concerned for Malfoy as a person. Even though they were never on friendly terms, she missed the civil Malfoy that sometimes appeared. Being an only child, she didn't realize how much she missed the way he interacted with his sister. She missed seeing his face light up when he talked about Sophie or his child-like curiosity when he listened to Muggle fairytales. She missed the intelligent conversations they had, though they were distant and polite, when they had to patrol together. Most of all, she missed his presence. When she lost a friend in Ron, she was glad to have made a new connection. Sophie and Malfoy provided a welcome distraction and something to focus on while she tried to put her life back together. Malfoy was by no means Ron's replacement. They were as different as night and day and Snape would sooner tuck Harry into bed with a goodnight kiss than for Malfoy to become her best friend. But it was exactly that challenge that Hermione missed. Malfoy was like a puzzle to her, a difficult riddle she can't figure out. One minute he would be a pompous git and the next he would be making her and Sophie laugh with his antics. Though she understood the reasons for his actions, their dysfunctional relationship made it difficult to define where he fit in her life. And Hermione hated uncertainties. However, Malfoy wasn't some Arithmancy problem. She knew that she wouldn't find a magic solution (no pun intended) that decoded and changed him into one of those misunderstood-bad-boys-with-a-heart-that-turned-good that she always read about in novels.

Hermione was thinking about all this as she did her homework in the secret room. Harry and Ginny went to Hogsmeade so she decided to visit the little girl. She just put Sophie down for her afternoon nap and Hermione was getting ready to leave. She was approaching the door when it opened and in walked Draco Malfoy.

Instantly their arms wrapped around each other. Hermione was relieved to see him alive and Draco was relieved to see that she was alright. Moments later, both of them realized what they were doing and they jumped apart quickly as if lightning struck them. There was an awkward pause where Hermione turned red and Draco rubbed his neck.

"Good to see you're ok." Draco spoke first.

"Um, yeah…thanks," Hermione replied. She cleared her throat. "Sophie's sleeping so I'm going to head off." She went for the door as Draco walked into the room toward the couches. She paused as she reached for the handle. Gathering her resolve, she took a deep breath and turned around.

"Where were you? Are you alright? What happened?" Once she opened her mouth, Hermione found it hard to slow down.

"I was at home." Draco sat wearily on the couch. Hermione sat across from him. "After the Dark Lord found out that you escaped he wanted heads. He was so furious he killed the two guards watching you on the spot. But it wasn't enough. He wanted more. Father wanted me to stay behind and _learn the ropes._" Draco shuddered as he remembered everything that happened. "Let's just say I was given a crash course in 'Death Eater 101'."

The shudder was not unnoticed by Hermione. She knew there was more than he was letting on but she didn't want to push him. "But you…I mean, they didn't…hurt you did they?"

_She was the one tortured by Voldemort and she was worrying about _him_?_ "No," Draco replied. _At least not intentionally._ "The Dark Lord never found out it was me. To keep up pretenses my floo is never monitored or blocked by anyone but me so that I can go visit my friends whenever I want and floo home from school if I need to."

"How did you know what I was after?"

"When they…" Draco paused. "_Returned_ you to the dungeons, Mother told me about the locket and what you were doing there." He didn't tell her how dangerous it was for him to go to his Mother's room in shock and ask about Hermione's presence in the Manor. Or how they had to covertly meet and talk in the hidden staircases the servants used in the Middle Ages, fearing discovery every second. Luckily, they haven't been used in hundreds of years so no one but them knew the staircases still existed. Still, that didn't mean that one of the most powerful Dark Wizards of all time wouldn't be able to somehow detect them. Draco could still feel the locket digging into his palm as his mother pressed it tightly into his hand.

"_If anything happens to the young lady, make sure to give this to Dumbledore." Narcissa whispered urgently right before they parted ways._

_Draco walked back to his room with the locket feeling like the weight of the world was in his hands. All he knew was that he wanted it and Voldemort's disgusting piece of soul off his hands. The sight of Granger writhing in pain flashed through his mind and her scream echoed in his ears. He made up his mind of what he should do._

"Thank you." Hermione's voice broke Draco out of his thoughts. He looked up and met her eyes. She quickly looked down. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here right now," she added earnestly. "That's twice now."

"Let's not try for 3 alright?" He replied trying to lighten the mood. "Besides, I should be thanking you for looking after Sophie." He looked at his sister's sleeping form through the open door. "No matter how long I was gone, I knew she'd be okay." And it was true. Throughout all the things he had to deal with in the Manor and all the worries he had for himself, his mother, Granger, and everything else, he never once worried about Sophie. While he thought about her a lot, he didn't worry. He knew that with Granger and Snape looking after her, she would be alright.

"No matter the circumstances, it would be hard to stay away from Sophie," Hermione said smiling as she watched Sophie sleep.

"The Malfoy charm tends to have that effect on people," Draco said matter-of-factly.

"Ha, ha," Hermione replied dryly. "The Malfoy women, I'm sure. The Malfoy men, on the other hand, that remains to be seen."

"That's because they haven't had a chance to show you," Draco answered easily.

Hermione blushed. An awkward pause followed.

"Erm, I really should get going," Hermione said after a few moments. "I have to meet Harry and Ginny before dinner." She grabbed her bag and almost ran to the door. Once more she paused and turned to Draco.

"Thank you, really," she said sincerely.

Draco nodded in acknowledgement.

"And," Hermione said pausing, almost as if considering whether or not she should say anything more. "I'm really glad you're back and that you're safe," she added before quickly walking out and shutting the door behind her.

* * *

A/N: There you have it – the aftermath of the mission. For some reason, this chapter took a really long time to write and it was difficult to get everything together. I have to say that the reviews I got really helped me get over the writer's block. Thank you to all those who reviewed – they helped keep me going. As a treat, this is a much longer chapter than usual so it'd be great to get lots of awesome reviews!

In other news, the Twilight DVD just came out this weekend. What'd you guys think? How many times have you watched it? Memorize all the lines yet? I have the 3-disc edition and I must say it's pretty good in terms of extras and whatnot compared to a lot of other DVDs out there. I only have the 1-disc versions of the Harry Potter ones though so I can't really compare those – I'm sure the HP DVDs are pretty sweet too (or are they?).


	18. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling nor do I own Harry Potter. See previous chapters.

**A/N**: What's this? Yes, I am still alive =) I know you were used to quite regular updates from me. Believe me, I would love to regularly update this story because I can't wait to see what happens next either. Unfortunately, I'm quite literally smack dab in the middle of my final exams (I'm actually supposed to be studying right now – oops!). But I needed a break so I thought I'd post this chapter up. Unfortunately, real life has a habit of getting in the way of things that we want to do. Hopefully you guys haven't forgotten me or this story yet =) Oh, and please read my author's note at the end of the chapter too. Anyway, on with the story. I hope you enjoy it!

_Last time:_

"_And," Hermione said pausing, almost as if considering whether or not she should say anything more. "I'm really glad you're back and that you're safe," she added before quickly walking out and shutting the door behind her._

**Chapter 17**

Genevieve Harrington was not impressed.

She thought that she had succeeded in putting Hermione Granger in her place. Now with the latest stunt, Hermione was once again the apple of Dumbledore's eyes and the center of Harry's attentions.

Genevieve knew going into Hogwarts that she would have to compete with the school's golden girl but she didn't think it would be that difficult. For the most part she was right. Anyone with eyes can see that Genevieve was _leagues_ above Hermione. She was prettier, richer, smarter, not to mention a pureblood. But Genevieve also knew that the old coot preferred Granger over her. Fortunately, he had the stupid tendency to give everyone the benefit of the doubt and so was too _nice_ to fight against the Board members when they gave Genevieve the Head Girl. Genevieve smirked. Dumbledore was too idealistic for his own good. Still, she would've liked the old coot on her side if only to have the _whole_ school wrapped around her fingers. When he asked Hermione to go on the mission instead of her, Genevieve was disappointed even though she knew why he was wary of her. Not that Genevieve was eager to take on such a dangerous task – she just wished it didn't turn out so well. Now Dumbledore had renewed admiration for Hermione and Harry was once again interested in strengthening their friendship, leaving Genevieve to the wayside. This simply would not do. So Genevieve set out to reclaim her place at the top.

She knew the only way she could regain their attention was to do something as heroic as what Hermione did, but in true Harrington fashion, do it _better_. So she recruited Ron to help her. She fed him some story about how she was inspired by Hermione's bravery to try and help the cause (which he ate up like the good lapdog that he was) and they spent the days after Hermione's return in the library researching the possible locations of the remaining Horcruxes. Finally, a few days later she found out where two Horcruxes were. Turns out, Granger was on the right track with the heirloom idea.

When Hermione came back successfully with the locket, Genevieve decided to go and visit her uncle who had married a direct descendant of Helga Hufflepuff. What's more, they actually lived in Hufflepuff's residence, after her aunt inherited the estate as part of her dowry. _It pays to have pureblood connections._ It was too easy, really. Her aunt was a true Hufflepuff – loyal, kind…and extremely gullible. Genevieve mentioned something about wanting to learn more about the Founders of Hogwarts and her aunt eagerly jumped at the chance to show her the Hufflepuff family history.

Genevieve was getting extremely bored when near the end of the tour her aunt led her down into the cellar. The cellar itself was not spectacular. In fact, it looked like it hadn't been used in years. There were cobwebs and dust all around and Genevieve saw a pile of abandoned sacks in one corner. However, she could also feel the strong presence of magic pulsing around her, just out of reach. Her aunt walked over to a run-down looking cupboard. She opened one of the doors with a creak revealing Hufflepuff's cup.

"_Oh Aunt!" Genevieve exclaimed in mock surprise. "Is that really – no, it can't be!"_

"_Indeed it is my dear," her aunt said with a proud smile. "Helga Hufflepuff's cup. It's been in my family for generations. Appearances can be deceiving. That cupboard might not look like much but it has the strongest protection charms you would ever find."_

"_Oh! Dumbledore would _love_ to be able to see this!" Genevieve gushed._

"_I'm afraid I can't take it out of the house my dear. Too precious, you see."_

_Genevieve hung her head down, faking disappointment. "Of course, I understand. It would just be so great – such a privilege to be able to bring it to Hogwarts. It would mean so much to everyone to see such an important piece of history, even for just a short time."_

"_Well," her aunt replied slowly. "I suppose one little visit couldn't hurt. Helga Hufflepuff helped build the school after all."_

Genevieve didn't want her actions to be considered a "follow-up" to Hermione's so she waited until she had a lead on another Horcrux before letting Dumbledore know about the cup. Oddly enough, Ron was the one who gave her a big clue. _Guess he wasn't completely useless_. He was able to find the school's detailed blueprints which included all the enchantments that surrounded the castle. When Genevieve compared it to the drawings of the Chamber of Secrets (commissioned by Dumbledore upon its discovery so that they knew exactly what was in there) she noticed something very odd. With a triumphant grin she made her way to Dumbledore's office with Ron in tow.

oOoOoOoOo

"Professor! I have something to – " Genevieve's excited tone dropped when she noticed that Dumbledore was talking to two other students. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

"It's alright Ms. Harrington," Dumbledore said, smiling as he looked up at her. "I was just checking in with Ms. Granger and Mr. Potter." By now, both Harry and Hermione had turned to face her. "Now, you wanted to say something?"

"If you need privacy, we're going to leave now Professor," Hermione offered standing up.

"Nonsense," Genevieve grinned. This was turning out better than she thought. "What I have to say actually concerns you too. Well, all of us," she stated, revealing Ron behind her.

"Well in that case Ms. Harrington, please proceed," said Dumbledore.

The excited gleam was back in her eyes now. "I know where to find a horcrux – _two_, in fact." She looked at Hermione then, a challenge in her eyes.

"Two, you say?" Dumbledore asked, intrigued.

"Well, as soon as is convenient for you, my aunt will promptly bring over Hufflepuff's cup," Genevieve stated nonchalantly, as if her aunt was simply bringing a tin of cookies over.

"Well I shall make the arrangements at once," Dumbledore replied eagerly. "And the other?"

"I believe that the Riddle Ring is right under our noses," Genevieve began and paused. Oh how she loved keeping them in suspense. The fact that she had their attention didn't hurt either. "I compared the school's blueprints with the map of the Chamber of Secrets." She snapped her fingers and Ron moved forward and spread the maps on Dumbledore's desk. "Do you see the dead end in this tunnel here? It's located just past the anti-apparition wards surrounding the school. It looks like whoever built the Chamber took great pains into making sure this part of it made it past the school's border. _Just_ past the border and nothing more. There's less than 2 feet of space that goes beyond the wards – just enough space for one person to stand in. I'm betting that it isn't a dead end at all. My guess is that the wall itself is a Portkey that would lead the person who touches it somewhere else. Somewhere secret – the perfect place to hide a horcrux."

Genevieve thoroughly enjoyed their stunned faces. Her explanation seemed reasonable so all of them promptly made their way downstairs towards the infamous girl's bathroom with Dumbledore in the lead. The Headmaster didn't want anyone to get hurt if anything should go wrong so he ordered them to stay in the bathroom and wait for him to come back out of the Chamber of Secrets. Dumbledore came back up a few minutes later, weakened from destroying the Horcrux, but with a triumphant smile nonetheless. Everyone cheered and congratulated Genevieve. When Harry hugged Genevieve, Hermione swore she saw the girl smirk at her behind Harry's back but it was gone so quickly she couldn't be sure.

"I suppose I better contact your aunt Ms. Harrington," Dumbledore said still smiling.

"Of course Professor," Genevieve replied returning the smile.

"I should go return these," Ron said as Dumbledore walked away.

"I'll go help you," Harry offered. He turned around. "Good job Gen! That was awesome!" The two boys left the bathroom in high spirits leaving Genevieve and Hermione.

"Well done Genevieve," Hermione offered.

"Just spit it out Hermione," Genevieve said in a bored tone.

"What?"

"Oh c'mon just say it," Genevieve scoffed. "You're wondering why I did it – why I had to rain on your little parade by once again outshining you. Why I had to find two horcruxes to beat your latest heroic feat."

"No," Hermione denied, though deep down she was wondering the exact same thing. "I wasn't – it doesn't matter who does it. As long as Voldemort gets defeated, that's the important thing."

"_As long as Voldemort gets defeated,_" Genevieve repeated, mocking Hermione's voice. "That's why you'll never get anywhere Granger. You're weak. Unlike you, I'm not afraid to do what it takes to get what I want. I'm _going_ places and you – no one will even remember your name."

Hermione stood there stunned as Genevieve walked away.

oOoOoOoOo

_It was a cold, dreary day - too cold considering the time of the year. The clouds were dark and grey in the sky above, casting a gloomy mood on the surroundings. A roar of thunder was heard in the distance, almost like an omen for the events to follow._

_Cedric turned around to find a brown bush of hair attack him._

"_Oof! Hermione," Cedric admonished laughing as he loosened her hold on him._

"_I have a bad feeling about this," Hermione whispered looking up into Cedric's eyes._

_He gently took her face in his hands. "Don't worry," he said caressing her cheek. "I'm sure Dumbledore wouldn't put anything in there that we can't handle."_

_Hermione leaned into his touch. "I'm scared for you. You and Harry. I can't handle it if something happened to either one of you." She opened her eyes and gazed fiercely into his. "Let me come with you. I'll use Harry's cloak and help you both out. No one will have to know. I'm coming."_

"_You know I can't do that Hermione," Cedric laughed softly. "It's against the rules. Besides, I'd be too distracted. _I_ wouldn't be able to handle it if anything happened to _you_." He rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes reveling in the feeling of her breath mixing with his. Finally, he closed the distance between their lips and kissed Hermione with all he had._

_Hermione immediately responded and matched his burning intensity. It was the most desperate kiss Hermione ever had but at the same time, it was the softest. It had the gentleness only Cedric could pull off, as if she was the most fragile thing in the world and he was afraid of hurting or breaking her. Cedric was the one who first broke off. Hermione moaned at the loss of contact._

"_You better go," he said giving her the crooked grin she loved so much. "If Rita Skeeter finds you here she'll tell people you're after Fleur next. I'll be fine Hermione, I promise. I'll look out for Potter too." He turned to go._

_As Hermione started walking away he spoke again, stopping her in her tracks. "Hermione," he said. Hermione turned around. "If something happens to me in there, promise me you'll keep going. Promise me that you won't give up. I'm not the only one who needs you. People need you Hermione Granger. The world needs you." _

"_No, Cedric! Come back!" Hermione desperately tried to scream. She tried to warn him but nothing would come out. _

_Suddenly, Cedric was gone and in his place was Genevieve's mocking face._

"_It's your fault Cedric died you know," she mocked. "Because you're weak. No one will even remember your name."_

_Hermione was about to deny it. Tell her it wasn't her fault. But suddenly Genevieve disappeared and Hermione found herself in a strange setting. She was sure she had never been there before but it seemed eerily familiar. She could feel a thick fog rolling in but it was too dark to see anything._

_Suddenly, a bright flash illuminated everything, revealing two disoriented figures._

"_What just happened?" the first one asked. His clothes were disheveled and his black hair was just as messy. "Lumos!"_

Harry! _Hermione recognized._

"_I don't know," the other answered, lighting his wand as well. Dirt was smudged all over his clothes, some finding its way to his brown hair. "The cup must've been a Portkey."_

Cedric! _Hermione couldn't breathe. _No! This can't be happening! I can't be where I think I am!

_Sure enough, as she looked around she saw gravestones everywhere – she was in a graveyard. She wanted to scream. She wanted to run to them and warn them. She wanted to hold Cedric in her arms. But no matter how hard she tried she couldn't move. She had never felt so helpless in her entire life. It was as if she was watching a 3D movie. Everything was around her, 3 dimensional, as if she was really there but she wasn't, not really. She was simply watching everything unfold before her._

_At that moment, Harry noticed his surroundings._

"_Cedric, get back to the cup!" He urged but it was too late. A figure had emerged from the shadows._

"_Who are you? What do you want?" Cedric demanded, gripping his wand tightly before him._

_The figure was finally illuminated by wand light – Wormtail. A cold voice called out in the shadows. "Kill the spare."_

"_Avada Kedavra!"_

"No!" Hermione woke up screaming, her hand outstretched in an effort to stop the curse. Her body started shaking. She could feel wet tears run down her face. Great, heaving sobs of anguish tore through her heart but she never noticed any of it. She just kept seeing Cedric's lifeless eyes staring at her from the ground. Hermione knew that she would never forget the empty look in his eyes for as long as she lived.

Eventually, she calmed down. Luckily, she had learned to put silencing charms around her bed curtains back in 1st year, in an effort to block out Lavender and Parvati's loud chatter at night. Thus, no one had heard her scream. Ever since Voldemort showed her his memory of that night, she had been plagued by nightmares of Cedric's death. She hadn't had a decent night's sleep since.

Wearily, she put on her dressing gown, got out of bed, and headed for the one place where she could think.

oOoOoOoOo

"_I'm surrounded by imbeciles! How can a mere, mudblood girl possibly escape from an army of Deatheaters?!" Voldemort's rage shook his servants to the core._

"_A t-t-thousand apologies, m-m-my Lord," Wormtail stuttered kneeling at Voldemort's feet. "W-w-e will not m-m-make the s-same mistake again."_

"_We have brought you something to help, ah, take your mind off things, my Lord." Lucius walked in the room, his robes billowing behind him. The rest of the Deatheaters filed in behind him. Lucius snapped his fingers and summoned a house elf. "Bring Draco in here at once!" he commanded. "He should really be here for this," he sneered. The other Deatheaters chuckled behind him._

_Upon receiving the summons, Draco apprehensively walked into the living room. What he found was much worse than he could ever imagine._

_The first thing he noticed before entering were the sounds. A woman was screaming while another was sobbing uncontrollably. He also heard the sound of heavy blows and a man moaning in pain. When he entered he noticed that all the Deatheaters had conjugated in the living room. They had formed a semicircle around the room with the opening toward the door so that Draco had a clear view of what was happening as soon as he entered. _

_On the right side, a man was being beaten mercilessly on the floor. Five DeathEaters took turns kicking and punching him while he moaned in pain. Two women – a middle-aged woman and a girl who looked to be about Draco's age – were watching the beating near him. They were the source of the other sounds. DeathEaters held them captive as the older woman sobbed and the young girl screamed._

"_Stop! Stop it! I'll give up my magic, I promise!" The young girl, whom Draco presumed was the daughter of the other two, screamed and implored._

_Lucius turned to his son. "Ah Draco, it's so nice of you to join us. Come in, come in." _

_Draco felt sick to his stomach. He wanted nothing more than to turn and run from the room but he knew he had no choice. He realized that he was standing frozen in the entryway and he willed his feet to move. _

"_This is what happens when Mudbloods try to steal magic from us," Lucius continued. "They have to be taught a lesson. Mudbloods don't deserve magic."_

_The DeathEaters in the room murmured their agreement._

"_Don't you agree Draco?" Lucius asked._

"_Yes Father," Draco answered tonelessly as the sound of the girl's screams continued to fill the room._

"_Enough," said Lucius with a sneer. "I'm bored. Let's make this more interesting." He snapped his fingers._

_The Deatheater holding the young girl pulled her away from her family toward the middle of the room. She started to struggle and scream even louder. Her mother and father's screams joined hers as well. Draco watched in horror as they started to strip the young girl in front of her parents._

"_Please!" Her father implored. Her mother screamed._

"_Avada Kedavra!" Green light shot from the other end of the room hitting the father in the chest. Another one came and hit the mother, silencing them both forever. _

_Draco turned to the left to find Snape calmly holding his wand outstretched. _

"_Severus, must you ruin all the fun?" Lucius asked disapprovingly._

"_They wouldn't shut up," Snape answered simply. He caught Draco's eye for a moment then turned his attention back to the center of the room. _

_Draco followed his gaze and watched in horror as one by one, the Deatheaters took turns with the girl. He was so disgusted he wanted to vomit but he could feel Voldemort's eyes watching him intently from the far side of the room. He felt horrible and guilty that he didn't have the courage to do something for the girl and her family. A girl who could've easily been a student at Hogwarts – someone's schoolmate, someone's friend. A girl who could've easily been Granger._

"_Draco," Lucius' voice finally gave Draco an excuse to look away. "Take her away," he said with a malicious sneer. "The first time can be…unique." The Deatheaters laughed. "We'll let you have the privacy of one of the bedrooms."_

_Two Deatheaters shoved the girl in his direction and Draco caught her in his arms. By now the girl had fallen silent. She simply stared at her parents' bodies while tears streamed down her cheeks. Draco wanted to do anything but touch her. He wasn't sure he could handle it. But for her sake and his, he carried her bridal style out of the room and smirked at the Deatheaters for show. He left the room to the sound of cheering and catcalls._

_Once he was alone with the girl in the quiet of the hallway, Draco didn't know what to do. He looked down at the girl's bruised and broken body and he felt so sickened at what they had done to her that he wanted to run away. But he knew he couldn't simply abandon her. Instead, he gently loosened his hold on her to make her more comfortable as he walked aimlessly down the hall. He didn't know where to bring her. He just knew he wanted to get as far away from the living room as possible._

"_Please." The girl whispered softly breaking the silence. "Please," she repeated. _

_Draco looked down. Their eyes met. He saw such emptiness in them, his heart broke for her. He knew that he would never forget her lifeless eyes for as long as he lived._

"_My parents…" she trailed off. "Thank that man for me…for sparing my parents." "Please," she implored looking into Draco's eyes. "No more pain. Please, no more."_

_Draco felt his cheeks become wet and he realized he was crying. He knew what he had to do. With a trembling hand, he lifted his wand and pointed it at her heart. The girl closed her eyes and a look of peace took over her features. _

"_Avada Kedavra."_

_The green light glowed and the girl's body became limp in Draco's arms._

With a huge, shuddering breath, Draco woke with a start. Another nightmare. When he realized that he was in his bed at Hogwarts and not at the Manor, he tried to calm himself and stop himself from shaking.

Knowing that he would only see the young girl dead in his arms if he tried to close his eyes, Draco got up, grabbed his cloak, and went for a walk.

oOoOoOoOo

"I don't have my broom to save you again, you know."

Draco's feet had unconsciously carried him to the Astronomy Tower where he found a familiar silhouette leaning by one of the windows.

The figure jumped at his voice and turned around.

"I wasn't going to jump," Hermione said with a sad smile. She turned back to look out of the window. Draco moved into the room and joined her.

"Can't sleep?"

"You can say that," she replied, still looking at the night sky. "You?"

"Same here."

They both knew something bigger plagued the other but neither wanted to push.

After a few moments, Hermione broke the silence. "When did the world get so screwed up?" she asked softly. Draco looked at her then but her gaze remained fixed on the landscape. "How can people do things that seem – that _are_ – so good and yet do them for completely selfish reasons? How can someone seem so great and be rewarded for it when they're completely horrid?" she continued, thinking of Genevieve.

"While other people seem like complete bastards and do horrendous things but for the right reasons," he agreed, thinking of Snape.

"It's all about façades and expectations. All that 'Be Yourself' crap is bull. No one cares about who you really are. You give people what they want or you get left on the wayside."

"People see what they want to see." Draco shrugged, causing his arm to brush against Hermione's. A night breeze blew in their direction.

Hermione shivered. Whether from the cold or the contact, she wasn't sure. Suddenly, she felt the warmth of a heavy cloak being placed over her shoulders. She turned to Draco.

"Thank you." She said while adjusting the cloak. She tried really hard to refrain from taking a big whiff of his comforting smell. For some reason his personal scent calmed her.

"No worries," he replied. "It's getting chilly up here. What do you say we move to a warmer location? I don't particularly relish the thought of Peeves catching us up here either."

"Or Mrs. Norris," Hermione added with a smile, making Draco wonder just how often she wandered around at night. "Warmer sounds good."

oOoOoOoOo

Draco led the way to Sophie's suite. When they entered, Draco checked on a sleeping Sophie and then closed the door to her room, casting the same one-way silencing spell he had before. He went to the kitchen and grabbed two hot mugs of butterbeer and handed one to Hermione before sitting across from her on a couch.

"What do you want to do once you get out of Hogwarts?" Hermione asked once they were comfortably settled in front of a fire.

"It's not really up to me."

"But if you could be _anything_, what would you be? Have you never dreamed of doing a specific thing?"

"Honestly, I've never given it much thought. It was always assumed that I would take over the family business. I was never given much choice so I just resigned myself to that fate." Draco answered. "How about you?"

"I don't know."

"What?! Hermione Granger doesn't have a master plan? I thought for sure you'd have every second of the next 20 years planned out by now!"

"Very funny," Hermione countered dryly. "Actually, I really don't know. Wait, scratch that. I know what I _should _be doing."

"And what's that?"

"My parents want me to leave Hogwarts and become a dentist so I can take over the family business."

"What's a dentist?"

"It's like a healer but for teeth. Both my parents are dentists so naturally, they expect me to become one too."

"And you don't want to be one?"

"No," Hermione sighed. "To be honest, I find it quite boring. I don't want to spend the rest of my life looking at people's teeth. Plus, my parents want me to quit magic."

"Quit magic?" Draco asked in shock. "But you can't just _quit _magic – it's in your blood! It's part of who you are."

"I know, that's what I've been trying to tell them. The wizarding world is part of my life now. But my parents think that this is just a phase, like a hobby or something. Now that they've _indulged_ me for long enough, they expect me to go back to the muggle world and live the life they've planned for me."

_Sounds familiar._ Draco thought. "What do _you_ want to do?" Draco asked Hermione. He repeated her earlier question. "If you could be anything, what would you be?"

"You'd probably think it's stupid."

"Try me."

"I want to be an ambassador for the Department of International Magical Cooperation. You know, be the Ministry's ambassador to another country or to another group of creatures. I'm really interested in international relations. Hopefully someday, I'll move up and become the Minister of Foreign and External Affairs and be in charge of all our relations with other countries, creatures, and muggles – everything like that. But that's like my ultimate dream. It's not exactly realistic. It'll probably never happen."

"Why do you say that? You're Granger, you can do anything."

"Did Draco Malfoy just compliment me?" Hermione smirked. "Thanks, but seriously though, have you looked at me lately?"

"I'm looking at you now," Draco answered matter-of-factly. "I still don't see the problem."

"I'm Hermione Granger – muggleborn. Or as some would prefer to say it, _Mudblood._"

Draco cringed.

Hermione continued. "The wizarding world isn't exactly the most open-minded society out there," she said pointedly. "The Ministry still wants Purebloods to represent them to other countries and other creatures. Wouldn't want someone _inferior_ to be the face of the Ministry. They want the best of the best."

"But you _are_ the best of the best," Draco countered.

_I thought so once. _"Again, thanks for the vote of confidence, but a lot of people can attest to the fact that I'm not," she replied. She sighed. "Besides, it doesn't matter anyway. Much like in the muggle world, you need a lot of connections to be an ambassador. Education and skills can only get you so far. In this line of work, it's really more about who you know and who knows you."

"But you're Potter's best friend. You're attached to the hip – like an extra arm or leg or something. Every time he saves the world, you're right there with him. People definitely know who you are. Connections wouldn't be a problem. I'm sure Scarhead can use his almighty 'Potter-ness' to pull some strings."

"While that might be fine for some people," Hermione said looking pointedly at Draco who then shrugged innocently. "I want to get hired on my own merit."

"Granger, always the noble one," Draco said jokingly.

_You're weak. Unlike you, I'm not afraid to do what it takes to get what I want._ Genevieve's words rang through Hermione's head.

"Yup, that's me," she answered Draco softly.

Both students fell silent, each deep in their own thoughts.

Draco still couldn't believe that Granger had such a low opinion of herself. She had always seemed so strong and confident, well, except for the whole throwing herself off the tower thing. But aside from that, she was always on top of everything. Draco even found himself jealous of her at times. She was always a force to be reckoned with. To find out that she had insecurities was a bit disconcerting. Still, her insecurities are illogical. If the last 6 years were anything to go by, she's unstoppable. If Draco didn't know any better, he would say she was superhuman. School aside, with what she had done with Potter, the DA, and the Order (and Draco got a good glimpse of that when she was captured in the Manor), he couldn't imagine anyone thinking lowly of themselves in her situation. And with everything that's happened she still managed to retain her innocence and her faith in people and was still willing to help others out. Like him and Sophie. The more time he spent with her when she's with Sophie or when they're patrolling or times like these, and the more Draco got to know Hermione as a person, the more he realized how amazing she really is. He would never tell her so, of course.

He noticed then that they had been silent for quite some time. He looked in her direction.

"Do you – " Draco stopped as he found Hermione curled up on the couch, fast asleep. She still had his cloak but it was bunched up by her legs. With a soft smile, he quietly walked over and straightened his cloak over her sleeping form. He paused for a moment, watching her face by the glow of the fire. It slightly pained him to see that she didn't look as peaceful as when he saw her sleeping with Sophie – before she got caught in the Manor with Voldemort. He sighed. _Even in our sleep we can't get away from the bastard. _He then stood up, extinguished the fire, and quietly walked out of the room.

**

* * *

**

**A/N:**

There you go – an extra long chapter to make up for being away for a few weeks. A lot of stuff happened in this one so _please_ tell me what you think! Reviews would be greatly appreciated and would be a bright spot in my currently stressful days =)

On another note, after my finals I have to move out of my dorm room and then I have to do my practical rotations for the whole month of May. Fun, fun, fun…not. So because I will be really busy for the next month or so, the next update might not come until the end of May. It sucks but that's real life. I will try to get stuff up earlier if I can but I can't make any guarantees. I know a lot of other authors out there take way longer than a month between updates, but I thought I'd give you guys a heads up so that you're not wondering if I abandoned this story if you don't hear from me for a while.

That's another reason why I tried to leave you with an extra long chapter. So please, please **review **to tell me what you think and to help keep me going! Thanks for your support! I hope you stick with this story!


	19. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling nor do I own Harry Potter. See previous chapters.

**Please remember to read the author's note at the end.**

_Last time:_

"_Do you – " Draco stopped as he found Hermione curled up on the couch, fast asleep. She still had his cloak but it was bunched up by her legs. With a soft smile, he quietly walked over and straightened his cloak over her sleeping form. He paused for a moment, watching her face by the glow of the fire. It slightly pained him to see that she didn't look as peaceful as when he saw her sleeping with Sophie – before she got caught in the Manor with Voldemort. He sighed. _Even in our sleep we can't get away from the bastard_. He then stood up, extinguished the fire, and quietly walked out of the room._

**Chapter 18**

Hermione woke up feeling oddly warm and comfortable. She had gotten used to waking up on the cold floor of the Astronomy Tower where she'd been going the past couple of weeks every time she had a nightmare.

_Funny, I don't remember going back to the dorms last night._

When she reached to pull the covers off, she was surprised to feel something that was most definitely not her comforter. Hermione looked down and the sight of Draco's cloak in her hands brought back everything that happened the night before. She looked at her watch. Luckily, it was still fairly early and since it was a Saturday, most Gryffindors would be sleeping in, allowing her to sneak back into Gryffindor tower unnoticed. Reluctantly, Hermione got up even though all she wanted to do was stay under Draco's cloak forever. For some unknown reason she felt safe there.

After folding up the cloak and putting a quick thank you note on it, Hermione was about to slip out the door when Sophie stumbled out of her room sleepily.

"Hermione?" Sophie asked with a yawn, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

_So close!_ "Hi, Sophie," Hermione greeted with a smile. "Good morning."

By this point, Sophie had fully woken up, excited that her friend came to visit. "Did you come for breakfast?" she asked excitedly.

"Um, no, actually, I – "

"Nonsense!" Draco's voice interrupted Hermione as he walked in through the door. "That's exactly why she's here. It's a surprise for you Sophie." He turned to Hermione. "Isn't it?"

Sophie looked at her with such hopeful eyes, Hermione couldn't resist. "Yeah," she confirmed. "Surprise?"

"Yay!" Sophie squealed and proceeded to hug Hermione. "You should do this all the time!"

"All the time?" Hermione asked looking at Draco.

"On weekend mornings I have breakfast with Sophie. It's the only time I can do it because I don't have to rush to class after." When Sophie ran off to wash up, Draco added, "That and it'd be hard to sneak back to the dungeons when everyone's already up. I have to keep up appearances and wake up and get ready with everybody else. On the weekends people sleep in and no one's supposed to be in any specific place so even if I walk in, people will just assume I went for a walk or something."

Hermione nodded. Then she noticed that Draco was dressed for the day and that she still hadn't even brushed her teeth. "Um, I should go change or something," Hermione said, covering her mouth and looking down at her pyjamas and robe from last night.

"Don't worry about it," Draco replied with a smile. "It's just us. If you need it, you can use Sophie's bathroom. There's mouthwash in there too," he added with a laugh, earning a swat from Hermione.

Hermione entered the bathroom after Sophie was done. After washing her face and mouth, she looked at herself in the mirror and panicked. She had bags under her eyes, her clothes were rumpled, and her hair was a frizzy mess as it usually was after having been slept in. Unfortunately she didn't have a brush or a change of clothes to fix anything. _Why do I even care? It's just Malfoy right?_ With a sigh, Hermione readjusted and tightened her robe around her and walked out of the bathroom.

"Good morning Ms. Granger," Snape's presence stunned Hermione for a few moments. Luckily, she didn't scream in surprise.

"Er, good morning Professor," she replied uneasily, blushing at being seen by a teacher in her state. She looked at Draco who was clearly trying hard not to laugh. _Just us?_ She mouthed to Draco when Snape had his back turned.

"I'm sorry I forgot to tell you that our godfather usually joins us for breakfast as well."

Hermione shot Draco a look that was clearly meant to kill.

Draco simply smiled back. "Shall we?"

oOoOoOoOo

Never in a million years did Hermione ever imagine that she would be having breakfast with Draco Malfoy and Snape, and in her pyjamas no less. It was definitely _the_ most awkward situation she had ever been in, hands down. Luckily, Sophie took a bit of the edge off by talking incessantly and telling her godfather all about her week. Hermione was still shocked at seeing Snape listen to her intently with a smile on his face, clearly enjoying himself. Snape with a smile was unnerving, but Snape interacting with a 4 year old girl with a smile was downright scary. At least she was spared from having to make polite conversation. Clearly sensing her unease, Draco pretty much left her alone as she ate and for that she was grateful. She simply sat at the table and watched the two siblings interact with their godfather whom they clearly adored and who clearly cared about them as well. Once you got past all the weirdness and the people who were actually involved, it was quite a picturesque scene. Sophie would talk about her week while Draco and Snape listened attentively and asked her questions, making her feel like what she had to say was important. When she took a break, Snape would ask Draco something about school or quidditch and they would talk. There'd be occasional banter and jokes, some do-you-remembers, and a lot of laughter between the three, usually at something Sophie said or did. If she didn't know any better, Hermione would say it was a scene out of a 50s commercial. She still, however, noticed Snape giving her pointed looks when he thought she wasn't looking.

"Well, I really must be going," Snape finally said, reluctantly getting up. "I have to mark a bunch of essays from inane first-years."

"What does inane mean?" asked Sophie.

"Never mind," Snape said trying to hide a smile. "Don't I get a hug goodbye?"

"A hug costs 2 sickles," Sophie stated matter-of-factly.

"You drive a hard bargain," Snape replied. _A Malfoy through and through._ "But I think it's worth it." He handed her 2 sickles and Sophie proceeded to give him a hug.

"Alright, I have to go now," Snape said, standing up and letting Sophie go. "Ms. Granger," he acknowledged Hermione with a nod. With that, he went to the door, giving Draco's shoulder a squeeze on his way out.

"I can't believe you did that!" Hermione exclaimed as soon as Snape was out the door. "It was the most embarrassing moment of my life!"

"I'm sorry," Draco said laughing. "I have to admit I really wanted to see your face when Snape saw you in your pyjamas."

He was met with a glare from Hermione.

"Alright, alright," Draco said with his hands in the air in a sign of surrender. "How about I make it up to you? I ruined your breakfast so how about you come to lunch with me and Sophie? It'll be my treat."

Hermione was about to refuse when Sophie interrupted her with squeals. "Yes! Yes! Will you come? Please, pretty pretty please?" Sophie pleaded, pouting and batting her eyelashes for extra effect.

_Such a Drama Queen. A Malfoy through and through._ Hermione thought, echoing Snape's earlier sentiments.

"Oh, alright," Hermione agreed earning a squeal from Sophie. "But can I _please_ wear something other than my pyjamas?"

oOoOoOoOo

"Okay, hold on to this."

"What is it?"

"It's a watch Granger."

"Yes, I can see that. But why do I have to hold on to it?"

"It's a Portkey."

"See, even a four year old is smarter than you."

"Four and three quarters."

"Yes, thank you Sophie."

"But according to Hogwarts: A History you can't apparate in and out of Hogwarts – even with a Portkey."

"Dumbledore made this especially for us."

"Why? Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

oOoOoOoOo

"A playground?" Hermione asked in disbelief once they landed. Sophie didn't even wait to catch her breath before running off to the slide with a delighted squeal.

Hermione looked around as they followed Sophie at a slower pace. "Why are we in a muggle playground?"

"I bring Sophie here occasionally so she can have a change of scenery. It's a chance for her to have fun and interact with other kids." Draco answered as they sat down at a nearby bench and watched Sophie.

"Who are you?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"Draco Malfoy," he answered without missing a beat. "For the smartest witch of our age, you sure can be stupid sometimes."

Hermione gave an exasperated sigh. Draco turned to Hermione and held her gaze.

"Just because I'm a prat doesn't mean I don't want my sister to be happy."

Hermione was about to reply but she was cut off by Sophie's voice.

"Hermione! Look what I can do!" Sophie called out as she slid down a fireman's pole. Hermione waved to acknowledge that she saw her.

"Be careful Izzy!" Draco called out.

"But this just isn't you," Hermione insisted, her attention back on Draco.

"Don't presume to know me Granger," Draco answered coldly. He got up from the bench and walked away.

"Malfoy, wait!" Hermione called out. She ran to catch up to him. "I didn't mean it like that. I mean – " She paused. "You're Draco sodding Malfoy, we're in a MUGGLE playground and well, you don't exactly project 'nice guy' at Hogwarts!"

"So what?! People can't change?!" He had to work hard at lowering his voice so that the other people wouldn't notice them. "I know you're used to hanging out with one-dimensional Gryffindors but the world isn't black and white. _People_ aren't black and white. I thought you knew that by now."

Once she overcame her shock at seeing Malfoy willingly venture out into the Muggle world, Hermione realized that she had seriously put her foot in her mouth. More like her whole leg, really. She sighed. Draco still had his back turned to her.

"I'm sorry," Hermione said tentatively reaching out to touch his shoulder. Draco stiffened but turned to face her. "I _do _know that. I should've known better than to say those things. I know you have Sophie's best interests at heart. It's just that you continually surprise me and knock me off balance!"

"Well you were never that well-coordinated to begin with."

Ah, an insult! Hermione was glad to see they were somewhat back on familiar ground now. "I really am sorry. Truce?" Hermione asked holding out her hand.

Draco reluctantly shook it. Hermione would like to think that the shiver she felt was because of a breeze. Draco would never admit that he was finding it more difficult to stay mad at Granger for very long.

"Alright, now come on," Hermione said, not letting go and pulling on his arm instead.

"Come where?"

"Oh don't tell me you just sit on that bench and watch Sophie play all day."

"If you think I'm going to go down that slipe thingy, you're seriously mistaken. It's undignified and likely full of germs."

"It's a _slide_ and don't be such a pansy. But if your hundred galleon cashmere trousers can't take it, we'll have to settle for the swings."

"Oh, 'cause that sounds _so_ much better."

oOoOoOoOo

"So this is it? We just rock back and forth? Where's the fun in that?"

"That's because you're too chicken to do anything else."

"What does a chicken have to do with anything?"

"Never mind, Muggle saying. What I meant to say is you're a coward."

"I most certainly am not!"

Draco said it so indignantly, sounding so much like a two year old, Hermione tried really hard not to laugh. Some of it escaped anyway.

"Well, show me what else you can do then, if you're so brave."

At this Hermione began to pump her legs and go higher on the swing.

"Most people," she said as she passed by Draco on her way up. "Go higher."

Draco looked on nervously (not that he would ever admit that) as she went higher and higher. "I think that's quite high enough Granger," he called out.

"Who are you my father?" Hermione asked laughing. "Come on, it's easy, just pump your legs like me."

Draco did so and higher he went. At first, the little flips in his stomach made him nervous (and a little queasy) but soon he got the hang of it and was matching Hermione's height. It was quite exhilarating actually. He was starting to like this swing thing – it felt somewhat like flying on a broom.

_Chicken, indeed._ "Is this all you've got Granger?" Draco called out to the girl beside him.

"No," Hermione answered grinning. Draco didn't like the mischievous gleam he saw in her eyes and he regretted asking the question. "Most people," she continued. "Jump off."

Draco had to bite back a scream (it was a cough, really) when Hermione jumped off the swing at the highest point. She landed lightly on the grass in front of them laughing.

Draco was still swinging. There was no way he would do something that stupid!

"Come on Malfoy!" Hermione called up from below. "What are you waiting for? Jump!" Draco shook his head. "Chicken!"

Draco knew he would never live it down, so with a deep breath, he approached the highest point of his swing and jumped off. He thanked Merlin he landed on his feet in front of Hermione. Unfortunately, he lost his footing and stumbled, pushing Hermione and pinning her to the ground. Draco lost his breath as he realized how close they were. Hermione had stopped laughing. He looked deep into her eyes, mesmerized. He couldn't help it. He reached out and gently pushed a lock of hair away from her face. Hermione's breath started to quicken. His might have too but he didn't notice. All he could see was her face, her eyes, staring right back into his. He slowly bent his face closer to hers until –

"Drake, I'm hungry."

In an instant they were both standing.

Draco coughed. "Sure Izzy, it's time for lunch." He turned to Hermione who was blushing profusely. "What are you in the mood for?"

* * *

A/N: Can you believe it?! I finally had enough time to post this chapter! I know not much happens but it just seemed natural to stop there and I thought it'd be nice to get something up. Even if it was short and fluffy. I anticipated a shorter lag time in my last author's note but that's life. For those who have to move back home during the summer months, you know how easy it is to overestimate your time and freedom and how much harder it is to schedule your time when you don't have complete control over it since parents are in the equation. I'm hoping to update this much quicker now but I can't make any promises. Anyway, moving on…

Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I usually reply to every single review but as I've mentioned, the past 2 months have been completely hectic and chaotic and I didn't have time to reply. Your reviews were completely appreciated though. You probably would never know how much they meant to me during my crazy days. So thanks again for brightening up my day! =D

In other news, though Snape might have seemed a little OOC in this chapter, I just want to make it clear that he is NOT by any means cuddly or sweet. He's the same snarky Snape we know and love but hey, he's human. He's a jerk to everyone but he _is_ capable of caring about some people, no matter how few (case in point: lily evans). In this case, he happens to care a lot about his godchildren and so he's a little bit different around them. Besides, Sophie is four – obviously he's not going to scare her off by having that scowl on all the time. I just thought I'd explain that before someone accuses me of having Snape run across a meadow chasing butterflies.

As always, please hit the review button to let me know what you think about my incoherent ramblings. Thank you.


	20. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling nor do I own Harry Potter. See the first ten chapters.

_Last time:_

_Draco coughed. "Sure Izzy, it's time for lunch." He turned to Hermione who was blushing profusely. "What are you in the mood for?"_

**Chapter 19**

"Where have you been Hermione?" Harry's voice met her as Hermione walked into the common room.

"Out."

"Out?" Harry looked skeptical. "Out where? We looked everywhere for you. We thought it'd be fun for all five of us to go to Hogsmeade today. Eventually we had to go or we would've been left behind by the carriages." He paused, still waiting for an answer. "Hermione?"

"Hmm?" Hermione asked absentmindedly still thinking about the bizarre day she just had.

"So? Where were you today?"

"Oh. I went out into the muggle world," replied Hermione. _Well, it's true._

"Why?"

_Because I wanted to spend time with – was coerced by Draco Malfoy._ "I needed to get a book."

"A book?" Harry was still looking at her closely, not fully believing her.

His stare was unnerving Hermione and she knew he would see right through her. It was time to turn her 'Hermione-ness' on full blast. "It's not just any book. It's written by this muggle author, Stephenie Meyer. The series is called _Twilight_ and I absolutely love it. The newest one came out today and I _had_ to have it. I couldn't wait! It's about vampires – "

"Okay, okay," Harry interrupted. He knew he needed to stop her when she started talking at light speed. When Hermione got excited about a book, she would ramble on about it until his ears fell off. "Let me guess, you would have been home earlier but you couldn't wait so you ended up reading the whole thing in the bookstore." Harry shook his head, smiling at his friend.

"You know me so well," Hermione answered, smiling back. She _would_ have been home earlier if it wasn't for that movie theater they passed by on the way back from the restaurant…

"_Why is it so dark? Are you planning to kill us?" Draco whispered to Hermione as she led them into the dark theater. _

"_Yes," Hermione replied sarcastically. "After spending all day with you, I'm leading you into a dark cave so that you won't recognize me. Honestly!" She scoffed. "Besides, would you really ask a potential murderer that? 'Excuse me, but are you planning to kill us?' 'Why yes, I am.' 'Oh, jolly good. We're going to run away now, then. Cheerio.'"_

"_Merlin! It's just a simple question Granger, no need to get snarky."_

"_This is a movie theater where we're going to watch a movie," Hermione said in her lecture voice. "I just thought it'd be fun to do something you and Sophie have never done before. Simple enough?"_

"_Yes, thank you." Draco replied, matching her proper tone. "What's a movie?"_

"_Shut up and you'll see."_

_Sophie laughed at hearing 'Shut up'._

"_Language, Granger, language. There are little ears present." _

_Seeing a movie with the Malfoys was quite the experience to say the least. Obviously they had never been to a movie theater before (or had seen a movie for that matter) so they didn't know what to expect. Draco, to Hermione's amusement, actually whipped his wand out in defense when the screen first came to life. Luckily, because it was an old matinee movie, they were pretty much the only ones in the theater. Sophie thoroughly enjoyed it and in the end Draco reluctantly admitted that he didn't find it that bad either. By the time the movie ended, it was almost time for dinner so they decided to search for a restaurant. _

"Hermione?"

"Hmm?" Hermione realized Harry was still talking to her.

"I said you were out pretty early this morning. Ginny and Genevieve said they didn't even see you in the girl's dorms."

"Oh yeah," Hermione answered nonchalantly. "You know me – I had to be first in line when the bookstore opened."

"I was looking forward to today too. We never hang out anymore. I thought it'd be fun to have the old gang back together."

Hermione felt a pang of guilt at Harry's wistful tone. "Well, how about tomorrow?"

Harry's face lit up. "Sure! I suppose homework could wait until later," he said with a grin.

oOoOoOoOo

"What is it with you and the tower?"

Hermione jumped at the voice and turned around. "I think it's my subconscious trying to gain some perspective. You know, the whole the-higher-you-are-the-wider-the-view kind of thing." She said, smiling at Draco.

He felt his stomach do a funny flip. "I had fun today, Granger."

"Yeah, me too," Hermione agreed. "Thanks for inviting me," she added with another smile.

_She really needs to stop doing that or my stomach will run off and join the circus._

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Hermione asked, all traces of a smile gone.

"Um, I was just thinking – do you do this a lot?" Draco asked trying to change the subject.

"Do what?"

"Go to the tower in the middle of the night."

"I should ask you the same question." Hermione's face turned pensive. "I just…have a hard time sleeping sometimes." She looked at Draco, hoping he would leave it at that. He seemed to be deep in thought and contemplating a serious decision. She could almost see the wheels turning in his head.

"Tell you what," Draco finally said. "If you ever have…a hard time sleeping, you can go to Sophie's suite."

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"Well it's warmer, for one thing," Draco replied. "And more comfortable. Feel free to transfigure the couch into a bed or something. Just turn it back into a couch in the morning."

They both knew that it wasn't what she was asking, but neither clarified. She didn't because she wanted to change the subject. He didn't because if he was being honest with himself, he didn't know the answer.

And so the routine began.

oOoOoOoOo

Hermione went on with her life during the day. She attended her classes, did her homework and Prefect duties, and visited Sophie.

She still hung out with Harry and Ginny (and Ron and Genevieve when it was unavoidable). For all intents and purposes, the Golden Trio – now more appropriately a quintet – was back together again. Not that anyone aside from Hermione really noticed it had fallen apart, but at least that nagging feeling Harry sometimes got was appeased. Hermione, for her part, felt herself drifting farther and farther apart from her old friends. Ron and Genevieve were, or course, a hopeless case, but even her relationships with Harry and Ginny were slowly weakening. Maybe they were all changing and growing up but as time went on, Hermione started to notice more and more things about her relationships with them. Like how, instead of being the equally balanced trio she always thought they were, Harry really _was_ more comfortable around Ron than he was around her. And how, with the exception of caring about the same people, she and Ginny had absolutely nothing in common. It was as if she had been looking through rose-coloured glasses for years when it came to her friends and the tint was slowly being stripped away. As time went on, Hermione felt more and more out of place. Ron and Genevieve aside, it was also hard not to feel like a third wheel when she was around Harry and Ginny. Things were a bit better when she was alone with Harry but she knew she couldn't be selfish and keep him to herself. Similarly, she still had a good relationship with Ginny but because they were so different, it was hard for them to really develop a strong bond – which is not to say that Harry or Ginny were bad people and Hermione hated them. It was actually quite the opposite and that's what made it so hard. Out of place or not, she still cared a great deal about them and she knows that they cared about her too. They, Harry especially, were still an essential part of her and she would not be the same without them. So she persevered through the awkwardness. There's also something to be said about the security of old friends which made Hermione want to hold on to them for as long as possible.

Throughout all this, Hermione had not forgotten about Cedric. She still thought about him but as time went on, it hurt less and less to do so. Sometimes, she would still catch herself watching the Hufflepuff table, trying to spot his brown hair or infectious smile. Her heart still quickened when approaching hallway corners or deserted classrooms expecting Cedric to pull her aside for a quick kiss and to tell her he loved her. And time can only do so much. She still had moments where it got so bad she would break down in Myrtle's bathroom. Her heart would feel like a thousand Hippogriffs were stamping on it with the pain of losing him. She would feel as cold as if a hundred Dementors surrounded her. During those times, she would cast strong silencing charms around the bathroom and cry her soul out. After being hit by a nasty burning charm after she told Hermione to 'go have a fit somewhere else', Moaning Myrtle learned to stay away from the bathroom when Hermione was in there. Hermione still had nightmares about Cedric's death at night, and as per the new arrangement, she now went to Sophie's suite instead of the Astronomy Tower.

It would be so late that Sophie would be asleep, so Hermione would come in, cast the one-way silencing spell Draco taught her, and transfigure the couch into a sofa bed. There was always a roaring fire in the living room which Hermione suspected Draco leaves for her benefit. Sometimes, Hermione would arrive to find Draco still there, working on homework or reading a book. When that happened they would talk well into the night. One of them would make tea or conjure butterbeer and they would discuss anything and everything – school, books, current events, history, their parents, even their childhood. Hermione would talk about what it's like to grow up in the muggle world and Draco would talk about what it's like to grow up in the wizarding world. Over time, they got to know each other better and they were surprised to find that they enjoyed each other's company. Hermione liked being able to discuss subjects like ancient runes and arithmancy with someone who was just as interested. She also liked having someone who challenged her ideas instead of just accepting them as fact simply because she was the one who said it. Draco enjoyed their banter and found it refreshing to talk to someone who can actually keep up with him. The two grew very comfortable around each other. Naturally, they learned to trust each other. Consciously or not, they became each other's confidantes. Both recognized that the other was just as screwed up as they were and had just as many issues. As a result, they were able to say anything without feeling like they were being judged or expected to be perfect. Hermione told him about the Head Girl Fiasco (he was, after all, involved in the aftermath) and Draco told her just how much of a role Voldemort played in controlling his life. By an unspoken agreement, some things were still off limits. Hermione never told him about Cedric and Draco never told her about what happened in the Manor after she escaped with the locket.

Early in the morning, Hermione would sneak back into Gryffindor Tower and pretend to wake up with everybody else. She was proud to say that she was becoming quite good at it. All those years of sneaking around with Harry and Ron now became quite useful.

oOoOoOoOo

"So my sister's birthday is on Tuesday."

"Right, she's turning five. Any big plans?" Hermione asked.

It was another night in Sophie's suite. As always, Hermione was glad to find that Draco was still there when she arrived.

"Actually, my mother's coming for a visit on Sunday," Draco answered. "We're planning to have a little party for her. You should come."

"Me?" Hermione asked in disbelief.

"Of course," Draco said. "It would mean a lot to Sophie. She'd be so disappointed if you weren't there. Besides, my mother knows all about you."

"_All_ about me?" Hermione asked, raising her eyebrow with a smile.

"Well you know what I mean – the whole befriending Sophie bit."

"And she doesn't mind that a mudblood is friends with her children?" Hermione asked seriously.

"That was a low blow Granger," Draco said in frustration. "You know we're past all that crap."

"I know." Hermione sighed. "It's just, it's your mother. She's this amazing woman who's done so much. I mean, that night in the Manor, with the locket –. " She paused. "Plus, all her life she's been taught to look down on people like me. I have to admit, I'm a bit intimidated."

Draco leaned forward and took her hands in his. "She already adores you," he told her earnestly. "She's grateful to you for taking care of Sophie when we were gone and for being friends with her. Anyone who can love that little brat is good in my mother's book."

Hermione laughed.

"Besides, you were pretty great in the Manor yourself," Draco added. He held Hermione's gaze. "That and you gave her prat of a son a chance instead of judging him outright."

"Well, the prat's habit of saving my life might have something to do with it," Hermione answered.

"Don't worry, so much. It's just going to be us," Draco reassured her. "Well, and Snape of course," he added with a smirk.

"Of course."

oOoOoOoOo

The night before Sophie's party, Hermione decided to not even try to sleep in her dorm. As soon as the other girls were asleep, she grabbed her stuff and headed for Sophie's room.

"What is all that?" Draco asked upon seeing Hermione walk in with an overflowing box.

"These, Mr. Malfoy, are supplies." Hermione answered.

"Supplies for what?" Draco took the box off her hands and placed it on the floor.

"The party tomorrow, of course."

"Don't be silly Granger, it's just us. Dobby and the house elves have prepared some food, we'll eat a nice meal, and Sophie will open her presents."

"That doesn't sound like much fun for a five year old birthday party," Hermione mused.

"And you're an expert at these things? Aww, have you only been invited to birthday parties for little kids?" Draco asked jokingly, earning a glare from Hermione.

"I'll have you know, Gryffindors throw the wildest parties in this castle." Hermione retorted.

"That's because you haven't been to a Slytherin one," Draco countered with a smirk. "So what did you have in mind, O wise one?"

"First we bake a cake."

"Bake? Why not just let the house elves do that?"

"Quit whining. House elves don't always have to do everything. Don't you want to do something for your sister?"

"I already got her a present. Speaking of which, what did you get her?"

"It's a surprise."

Twenty minutes later Draco and Hermione were well under way.

"So you just stir the batter like this," Hermione said showing Draco the technique. "You try."

Draco turned the spoon a few times. "Like this?" He asked Hermione.

"No," Hermione answered. She stepped closer beside him and grabbed his hand. "Deeper and more even strokes," she said guiding Draco's hand around the bowl.

Draco was finding it difficult to concentrate. She was so close he could smell the flowery shampoo in her hair and the vanilla that clung to her from baking. He was getting heady from the scent.

"Like this?" He asked, turning to her, his voice a low whisper. Mere inches separated their faces from each other.

"Yes," Hermione answered softly. She slowly let go of his hand. "Just keep doing that until the batter is smooth and you don't see any lumps," she instructed, turning away quickly to hide her growing blush. "I'll um, I'll start on making the icing."

oOoOoOoOo

Finally the cake was finished to their satisfaction. It was a two-tiered chocolate cake wrapped in pink fondant which Hermione further decorated with yellow and white flowers.

"Okay I think that's it," Hermione declared proudly. "Now we have to clean all this up."

"Clean up? Really? C'mon, can't we let Dobby do it?" Draco's voice was bordering on a whine.

"Spoiled brat," Hermione muttered. Suddenly, she felt something flick on her face. "What was that?" She asked reaching up to the spot. _Flour._ She looked up to find Draco smirking.

"I am _not_," Draco declared, flicking more flour at Hermione. "A spoiled brat."

"Oh you did not just do that Malfoy," Hermione said with a mischievous grin of her own. She threw some flour back at him and a flour fight broke out.

Hermione was hiding behind the couch when she felt arms grab her from behind.

"Gotcha!" Draco started tickling her. "Say you're sorry, Granger," he said pinning her down on the floor.

Hermione shook her head, laughing. Draco intensified his attack. Hermione was laughing so hard, she was starting to run out of breath.

"Stop!"

This time Draco shook his head with mirth and continued to tickle her.

"Draco!" Hermione screamed.

Draco stopped. His name falling from her lips stunned him. She had never said his name without disdain before, and he liked it. He couldn't help but think that he would love to hear her scream it again for a different reason. He searched her face, looking for something. He knew he was making a big deal out of nothing. But hearing her say his name was different somehow; important to him. Sure she didn't hate him anymore but _Malfoy_ was his father's son – the evil prat, the future Death Eater, heir and slave to the Malfoy name. _Draco_, was his own. _Draco_ had no past, no reputation, no associations attached to it. He could make it mean whatever he wanted to. She made him want to make it mean something good, something great. All that from the first time she said his name. _Merlin, what is this girl doing to him?_

Hermione, too stopped laughing after her outburst. The silence was tangible save for their heavy breathing. She looked at him as he searched her face, waiting for him to get mad at her. Grey met brown as she looked deeply into his eyes, their depths swirling with an intense, unknown emotion. When Draco gently reached up to brush some flour off her cheek and she shivered, Hermione decided to end whatever this was.

"We have to finish cleaning up," she whispered softly. Just like that, the spell was broken.

oOoOoOoOo

Hermione awoke feeling strange but comfortable, with an odd weight around her midsection. She slowly opened her eyes to find her face buried in the crook of someone's neck. Suddenly, the memories of last night dawned on her – baking the cake, the flour fight that followed, and the break they decided to take by the fireplace.

_We must've fallen asleep._

Hermione moved her head back and found Draco's sleeping face. She realized that his arm was wrapped around her. Without knowing why, she found herself gazing mesmerized at his face, studying the high angles of his cheekbones, the way his hair fell unkempt across his closed eyes, and his full lips. Hermione felt warmth radiate from her chest at the same time that a shiver went through her. Listening to him breathe, she hadn't felt so secure in a long time. With that came another realization to her sense of peace.

_No dreams._ For the first time since her encounter with Voldemort, Hermione's sleep was uninterrupted by nightmares. While relieved, that realization also terrified her. She slowly turned away from Draco's face and tried to get up but his grip simply tightened. Not wanting to wake him, Hermione had no choice but to stay still in her current position looking up at the ceiling and hope that he'd wake up soon. She didn't have to wait long.

The first thing Draco noticed was the warmth. He didn't think he'd ever been that warm in his lifetime and it wasn't bad. Despite his usually cold surroundings, Draco had been under the most luxurious duvets in the world, improved by spells to keep him comfortable. But this was a different warmth, a different comfort. Better.

The second thing he noticed was the scent. A light combination of a floral and vanilla scent he tried to recognize. In an effort to do so, he slowly opened his eyes. What he found was a mass of brown.

_Oh._

As with Hermione, he remembered what happened and where they were. He realized his arm was around her and he didn't quite know what to do. All he knew was that he wanted to stay that way. He looked past her hair and found Hermione staring at the ceiling. It didn't look like she had realized he was awake yet, allowing him a few moments to look at her face. She must have felt him staring because she looked down after a while, meeting his eyes.

"Good morning," she greeted softly. Her smile would be his undoing.

"Good morning," he answered just as quietly. _Not a bad way to wake up._

Suddenly, she sat up.

"Merlin!" Hermione exclaimed. "What time is it?"

"Eight thirty." Draco answered, looking at his watch.

"The party!" They both exclaimed.

"Crap!" Hermione said, standing up to survey the room. "Your mother is coming in less than three hours and this place is a mess!"

While the cake was sitting prettily on the table, the rest of the suite was not quite up to snuff. Decorations were only half up, inflated balloons were thrown haphazardly everywhere, and there was flour all over the place including the walls.

Hermione started wringing her hands. "We have to clean this up, decorate, and change and get ready. We won't have time."

Draco grinned. A freaked out Granger was always fun to watch. He grabbed her shoulders and gently shook her. "Calm down, okay? We can get this done. Breathe. Ready?"

She nodded.

oOoOoOoOo

Narcissa Malfoy was excited. She always prided herself in being cool and composed and she hadn't been excited in years. But today, she was exactly that. Excited. After 7 unbearable months, she would finally get to see her daughter. Oh, how she must've grown! How much has she changed? Is she well? The last question she knew the answer to. Of course, Sophie was well – Draco was looking after her.

Draco. It would be nice to see him again and under better circumstances. She knew he had been through hell and back the last time he was at the manor. It pained her greatly to see the things they made him do. It was excruciating to see how much it affected him. To his credit, he never let anyone see how he felt. But she was his mother. She knew him. She knew just how much that girl's death tore him up inside. Oh she _knew_ about that. Despite being confined to her private quarters most of the time, Narcissa knew everything that went on under her roof. So many times she wanted to go to his room and hold him. Comfort him. Protect him. But she didn't. She knew it wouldn't help either of them. It would only make things worse. Thankfully he inherited the Black stubbornness. Draco was strong. She knew that. He wasn't a little boy anymore but he was still growing. And if his letters were anything to go by, he's currently experiencing another milestone in his life - one involving a Ms. Hermione Granger. He just didn't know it yet.

To be honest, the Granger girl was a large reason for her excitement. Narcissa was quite interested to finally meet the exceptional witch who's managed to change her children's lives. Oh, they've met of course, at various points in time but they had never met under proper circumstances with the opportunity to actually talk and get to know each other. She had to admit, she was quite intrigued. She knew all about the girl's reputation of course – brightest witch of her age, Harry Potter's muggleborn best friend, etc. Dumbledore's praises were also not lost on Narcissa. But even if she had never heard anything about the girl, her stunt in the Manor surely caught Narcissa's attention and admiration. And now, putting all that aside, Narcissa was intrigued to find out more about the girl that occupied a large chunk of her son's letters.

So after telling Lucius that she would be visiting a friend in France for the day, Narcissa took the floo to France (so her steps would not be traced) and proceeded to floo to Hogwarts.

"Ah Narcissa! Good morning!" Albus Dumbledore greeted the Malfoy matriarch as she stepped out of his fireplace.

"Good morning, Dumbledore."

"Well, let's not keep them waiting. Shall we?"

oOoOoOoOo

"Mum!" Sophie immediately ran and gave her mother a big hug when she saw her come through the door. Narcissa picked her up and returned the hug.

"Oh, my Sophie!" Narcissa exclaimed, willing herself not to cry. She reluctantly put her daughter down. "My, how you've grown!" She said with a smile. "You're so tall now!"

"I know. It's because I'm five now," Sophie said proudly. "Soon I'll be as big as Drake."

"You're not five yet Izzy," Draco teased. "Your real birthday's not till Tuesday."

Sophie stuck her tongue out in response.

"Children," Narcissa said warningly though she was smiling.

"Hi," Draco greeted his mother sheepishly.

"Draco, dear," Narcissa said pulling him in for a hug. "How are you?" she asked seriously.

"Good," he replied. "You?"

"Alright given the circumstances."

"Mother," Draco began.

"No, Draco. I'm alright. Really. Don't worry about me okay?" Narcissa said reassuringly. "Now let's not ruin your sister's party." She stepped back, allowing Draco and Sophie to greet Dumbledore.

"Now, is everyone here?" Narcissa asked after greeting Snape.

"Hermione's not here yet," Sophie answered.

As if on cue, Hermione walked into the room after having changed into a casual dress.

"Hermione!" Sophie ran to greet her guest.

"Happy Birthday Sophie!" Hermione greeted, giving the little girl a hug and handing her a small wrapped gift. She stood up to face the others in the room.

Narcissa did not miss her son's awed gaze when Hermione walked into the room. Nor did Narcissa miss the blush that graced the girl's pretty face when their eyes met.

"Draco." Hermione greeted.

"Hermione."

Hermione blushed at hearing him speak her name. She felt herself wanting to hear him say it again.

Narcissa nudged her son. "Oh." Draco coughed. "Mother, I'd like you to meet, Ms. Hermione Granger."

"It's nice to meet you Mrs. Malfoy," Hermione greeted graciously, extending her hand.

"Please, call me Narcissa," Narcissa said with a smile, shaking her hand. "I'm delighted to have you here Ms. Granger."

"Hermione, please." Hermione answered. "Professor Snape," she greeted upon noticing him.

"Ms. Granger," he answered with a nod.

Hermione was surprised to see Dumbledore there. "Hello Professor Dumbledore."

"Hello Ms. Granger," he answered with a broad smile. "I commend you on the decorations. They're quite festive. Well done."

"Thank you," Hermione said blushing. "Draco helped too."

"Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling. "I didn't know decorating was one of your hidden talents."

"I just followed Hermione's orders sir," Draco replied. "I didn't really have a choice. She can be quite bossy when she wants to be," he added smirking at Hermione.

"Draco!" Narcissa admonished.

Dumbledore laughed. "Intelligent move, Mr. Malfoy. Ms. Granger's instructions are always worth carrying out."

"I wouldn't go that far, sir." Hermione interjected with a modest smile.

"Neither would I," Snape agreed.

"Now, Severus, it's all in good fun," Dumbledore said laughing. "Who else is hungry?"

After eating a delicious lunch, Hermione and Draco brought out the cake. Sophie was delighted with the pink confection decorated with yellow and white flowers. She was even happier when she discovered that it was a chocolate cake after blowing out her candles. Needing to get back to work, Snape and Dumbledore bid their goodbyes after having some cake. After they left, Sophie opened her presents. Snape got her a small cauldron and potions set so she can "brew" her own "potions". To Narcissa's relief, she discovered that the cauldron is spelled to only be able to make delicious, harmless, juice drinks in a variety of bright colors. Dumbledore, to Sophie's delight, gave her a mini Hogwarts uniform complete with a cloak with the Hogwarts crest on it instead of a specific house.

"Now I can look like you!" Sophie exclaimed to Hermione with a smile.

Narcissa got Sophie a lot of new toys, clothes, and a pygmy puff to keep her company. Sophie immediately loved it and named it "Alby" because she thought it looked as funny as the headmaster. Draco's present was nothing short of brilliant. He gave Sophie what looked like a mini Pensieve. However, instead of memories, it would hold Sophie's thoughts – more specifically, her imaginings. He explained that since Sophie had a great imagination, he thought that this would be a great way for her to store the stories she was always creating. Later on, she could revisit these stories, much like a memory in a Pensieve, and see it come to life, exactly the way she saw it in her head. It was like having a notebook to write stories in, but much, much better. When Hermione learned that he had created it himself out of a basic Pensieve, she was left speechless. She knew it must have taken him months to manipulate such complex magic.

"What did you get me?"

Sophie's question reclaimed Hermione's attention. She stood up, grabbed a big wrapped box from the kitchen and brought it in front of Sophie.

"I hope you like it," Hermione said, glancing nervously at Narcissa and Draco. She thought her present would be perfect for Sophie but she wasn't sure if the rest of her family would approve of something so muggle.

Sophie eagerly opened the big box to reveal two strange looking things. "What is it?"

"It's a televison and a DVD player."

"What do they do?"

"Do you remember the day we went to the movie theater?"

Sophie nodded with a big smile.

"These let you watch movies in your own room."

Sophie's eyes went wide. "But I don't have any movies," she said after a moment.

"Where's the little present I handed to you earlier?"

Sophie eagerly ran to get it and opened it to find a DVD of The Little Mermaid.

"Is it –? "she looked at Hermione.

"Yes, it's the same story that we read," Hermione confirmed. "In fact, a lot of fairytales have been made into movies."

"Awesome," Sophie breathed with a broad grin. "Thanks Hermione!"

"You're welcome," Hermione said giving her a hug.

"Can we watch it now?"

Hermione looked questioningly at Narcissa and Draco.

"Go ahead, dear, it's your party," Narcissa said with a smile.

After setting things up in Sophie's bedroom, Hermione stepped out to give the family some time and started the clean up. However, Narcissa followed her out soon after.

"Thank you for the wonderful party dear," Narcissa said as she handed Hermione some tea.

"It was no problem Mrs. Mal – Narcissa," Hermione amended at Narcissa's warning look. "I had lots of help."

"Yes," Narcissa chuckled. "How you ever made Draco do chores is a feat in itself. You have to teach me some of your techniques."

Hermione laughed in response. She watched the brother and sister through the open door of Sophie's room. Narcissa followed her gaze.

"I hope the gift was alright," Hermione said.

"Yes, it was very thoughtful of you," Narcissa assured her. "In fact, you and Draco complement each other quite well." Hermione choked on her drink. Narcissa went on as if nothing happened but she inwardly smirked. "His gift makes Sophie's _own_ stories come to life, while yours makes her _favorite_ stories come to life. I guess great minds really do think alike."

oOoOoOoOo

"So, how did it go?"

A few weeks after Sophie's party, Draco and Hermione were discussing that morning's Career Fair in one of their late night talks. Hogwarts hosted an annual Career Fair for sixth years in order to help them pick the right prerequisite courses for their seventh year.

"Alright, I think," Hermione answered. "Harry forced me to look at the Auror booth with him. The guy practically fell all over himself trying to give Harry information." She laughed. Draco scowled. "You?"

"Okay I guess," Draco answered.

"Did you check out the architecture booth?" Hermione asked. A couple of weeks ago, Hermione came across some of Draco's sketches and she thought they were quite good. Eventually, she noticed that some of them were of Sophie's suite. When she asked him about it, he confessed that he helped design Sophie's suite and helped Dumbledore decide on what charms to put in place. Knowing his talent with manipulating and creating charms (case in point: Sophie's gift), Hermione suggested that he might like magical architecture, wherein the architect was responsible for not only the structure itself but the charms that protected and enhanced it.

"Yeah."

"And?"

"It was quite interesting," Draco replied. "There are a couple of good schools I'm interested in and I've made appointments to tour them this summer."

"That's great," Hermione said with a smile.

"How about you? How did it go at the booth?"

Hermione knew what booth he was talking about. She recounted what happened earlier that day.

"Well, as soon as the Auror guy captured Harry's attention, I made a beeline for the booth."

_As with the Auror department, various Ministry of Magic departments had their own booths set up. Hermione headed for Foreign and External Affairs._

"_How can I help you dear?" A plump, middle aged woman was manning the booth._

"_Hi, I'm Hermione Granger."_

"_Matilda Bagin," the lady replied, shaking Hermione's hand. "Nice to meet you."_

"_Pleasure to meet you too. I'm interested in becoming an ambassador someday," Hermione answered._

"_That's great! It's a great department. Interesting, too. You get to travel everywhere, meet lots of different people, learn about other cultures. Fascinating."_

"_That's exactly why I want to be part of it," Hermione said with a smile. _

_The two continued their discussion for some time._

"_You should try out for our internship program. You actually get to work with our ambassadors: shadowing them, assisting them, and attending meetings with them. You really get to see and do everything. It's quite prestigious – only one student from each school gets to go. It gets pretty competitive."_

"_Sounds like a great opportunity."_

"_It is. It really is. What do your parents do?"_

"_They're dentists."_

"_Dentists? As in muggle?" Matilda asked incredulously._

"_Yes, I'm muggleborn."_

"_Oh." Matilda's face fell._

_That moment, Genevieve walked up to the booth._

"_Excuse me," Genevieve greeted._

_Matilda, grateful for the interruption, turned to her. "Matilda Bagin, what can I do for you?" she greeted extending her arm._

"_Genevieve Harrington," Genevieve replied accepting the handshake._

_At the mention of her last name, Matilda's face lit up. "Harrington? Are you by any chance related to the Harrington broom makers?"_

"_Yes," Genevieve replied with a broad smile. "George Harrington is my father."_

_Excited, Matilda started to discuss the booth with Genevieve, Hermione clearly forgotten. Before they got too far, Hermione decided to interrupt._

"_So how do I apply for the internship?" she asked trying to reclaim Matilda's attention._

"_Here, here," Matilda absentmindedly reached underneath and handed Hermione a stack of forms. "Here is the application form," she said without glancing at Hermione. She continued to talk to Genevieve. _

_Exasperated and a bit disappointed, Hermione walked away. As she did, she heard Genevieve say, "Internship? What internship?"_

_Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione saw Matilda gesture excitedly with her hands and heard Matilda reply "Oh, it's a great program. You'd be perfect for it!"_

Hermione sighed as she finished her story.

Draco was silent for a moment. He could see how much the encounter bothered her. "You're still going for it, right?"

"What?"

"The internship, of course!"

"I don't know if there's any point."

"Come on, it's a great opportunity! What was it? Ninety –? "

"99% of interns get hired in the department after they finished school and a lot of them move up to become ambassadors. Over 3 in 4 ambassadors were once interns in the program," Hermione said in a flat tone.

"Exactly! You can't let an opportunity like this slide," Draco insisted.

"You heard what happened."

"Yeah but that lady was what? An assistant?"

"Secretary to the Russian ambassador."

"Whatever. Point is, she doesn't make the decisions so who cares what she thinks."

"Yeah, but what if she's not the only one who thinks that?" Hermione asked.

"Well, you'll never know unless you try."

"But Genevieve's applying too," Hermione added.

Draco inwardly sighed. He knew how insecure Hermione felt around the WonderBitch. Honestly, he didn't know why. Hermione was leagues above the pampered Pureblood. He knew her kind – Genevieve had her mother's social climbing techniques down to a tee. Unfortunately, the rest of the world didn't see it that way. He would never let Hermione know that though. And he'd be damned if he let her give up the opportunity of a lifetime without a fight.

"I'm sure she just did that to annoy you," Draco reassured her. "They'd be crazy not to pick you. Believe me, I'm an expert at Pureblood airheads."

oOoOoOoOo

Hermione surreptitiously looked over at the Slytherin table over breakfast and smirked. Draco had not made an appearance yet. _What a lightweight._

She had received an invitation to be interviewed for the internship the day before and when she told Draco last night, they decided to celebrate over Firewhisky. Hermione, of course, had her fair share from Gryffindor parties. Slytherin parties, it seemed, were not quite as wild as Draco made them out to be.

She smiled as she thought of how her life was finally coming together. She got over losing the Head Girl position and had accepted her place at Hogwarts. She learned how to juggle and handle her relationships better, strengthening her friendships with Harry, Ginny, and Draco. She even rekindled her friendships with Luna and Neville, finding them better company than most people give them credit for. The ministry took her application seriously enough to grant her an interview and now her dreams are becoming closer to her reach.

The sound of ruffling wings pulled Hermione from her thoughts. She looked up to find the flurry of owls delivering the morning mail. Once she got her copy of the Daily Prophet, Hermione was surprised when another owl came to give her a letter.

Upon opening it, Hermione recognized her mother's handwriting at once. She read through the letter, dread filling her soul. She felt her stomach fall to the floor when she reached the end of the letter. She had to stop herself from letting out a strangled cry. She could feel tears well up and burn the back of her eyes and she knew she needed to get out of there before someone saw. Pretending she forgot a book in her room, Hermione ran out of the Great Hall and into the hallway.

oOoOoOoOo

Draco woke up feeling like his head was a bludger in a giant's quidditch game. Summoning a hangover potion (_Thank you Blaise_), he quickly downed it and felt much better. Noticing the time, he hurried to put himself together and get some breakfast.

He was hurrying down the hallway, spurred on by his rumbling stomach, when he collided with someone.

"Hey! Watch where you're – Hermione?" The sneer fell away from his face when he realized who it was.

Unlike her exuberant mood last night, Hermione looked like death warmed over. She was pale and shaking and Draco could tell she was trying hard not to cry. Worried, Draco looked around to see if anyone saw them and finding no one, pulled her into an empty classroom.

"Hey," he said softly. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Hermione looked up and seeing that it was Draco, she collapsed into him, hanging onto his robes for dear life. Draco instantly put him arms around her. Sobs wracked her body as she completely broke down, her tears drenching Draco's shirt. Draco held her tightly as he gently rubbed her back in an effort to comfort her, letting her cry everything out without a word.

Eventually, Hermione calmed down and Draco gently tilted up her face to his.

"What happened?" He asked quietly.

Silent tears were still streaming down Hermione's face. "I have to leave Hogwarts, forever."

* * *

A/N: Phew! Over 7,000 words! An extra long chapter to make up for my lack of updates. It's weird how my updates were more regular when I actually had school. I suppose it was because I wasn't at home so I could actually write in my spare time without being reprimanded for being unproductive. Anyway, hopefully this was alright. I know it's a bit of a change from my other chapters where I focus on one specific moment or day. I had to do it though to keep the story moving. Thanks for sticking with me! Let me know what you think =)

In other news, what did you think of HBP? Wasn't it absolutely epic?! Who wanted to give Tom a hug? I always want to give him one lol, but during the movie especially. And so much eye candy - is it just me or is everyone in that movie gorgeous? Oh and are we supposed to love Cormac that much?


	21. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling nor do I own Harry Potter. See the first ten chapters.

_Last time:_

"_What happened?" He asked quietly._

_Silent tears were still streaming down Hermione's face. "I have to leave Hogwarts, forever."_

**Chapter 20**

"What?!" Draco yelled in surprise. Seeing Hermione cringe, he lowered his voice, though his tone was still incredulous. "What do you mean you're leaving?"

Hermione handed him the letter now wrinkled and smudged with her tears. Draco let go of her and stood up as he read the letter.

"This is insane!" Draco stated, his tone furious. He started pacing as he read the letter. "You can't just leave! Not now, not when – They can't do this!"

"They can and they will. You read it yourself. My mother has it all set up. If I want to be able to write the GCSEs next year, I have to get into that school. It's a wonder they even agreed to let me go there for my last year. I guess my mother was able to pull some strings. She even hired a private tutor for me so I can catch up to the other students and ace the entrance exam."

"But you _have_ a school – Hogwarts is your school. It's where you belong."

"But Hogwarts won't help me get into the top universities for dentistry. St. Trinian's will."

"You know as well as I do that you're as much a dentist as I'm a muggle. You're a _witch_ Hermione. And an exceptional one at that. It's in your blood. You can't just walk away from it and live a mundane life!" Draco was yelling again.

"Don't you think I know that?!" Hermione retorted, her voice just as loud. "Do you think I _want_ to be a dentist?! You know me Draco. You know that's the last thing I want. But I have no choice. They're picking me up tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?! Why so soon?" Draco asked, not having gotten to that part of the letter.

"It's so I can 'start my tutoring sessions as soon as possible and maximize my studying time to ensure success,'" Hermione said in a flat voice.

At her defeated tone, Draco walked back over and put his arms around her. "You can fight this," he said, resting his chin on her hair. "They can't force you to leave."

Hermione shook her head against his chest. "They can. Even if I refused I can't stay here. My parents would stop paying the tuition and I'll be kicked out of Hogwarts."

Draco looked down and caught her eye. "Then refuse. Stay here. I'll pay for your tuition."

"I can't let you do that," Hermione answered.

"Why not?"

"It's too much."

"It won't even put a dent in my funds."

Hermione pulled herself out of Draco's arms. "I will not be somebody's charity case."

"You know that's not what I meant." Draco sighed, exasperated. "Damn it Granger! Now is _not_ the time for your stubborn pride."

"My pride is all I have left!" Hermione yelled back.

"You have me!" Draco countered, frustrated. "You have friends – "He paused as a realization hit him. A sneer formed on his face. "That's right, you have Potter," Draco continued in a dark tone, hurt that she threw his offer back at his face. "Well then run along. Run to Potter. I'm sure you'll have no problem accepting help from _him_. Wouldn't want your education to be funded by Death Eaters," he spat. "It wouldn't be good for the Head Girl's reputation to be linked to Voldemort. Oh wait, the Head Girl isn't you. You're just a stupid nobody."

_Slap!_

The sound of her palm hitting his cheek reverberated in the room as Hermione ran out the door.

oOoOoOoOo

Still in shock at the events of her morning, Hermione hollowly made her way to Transfiguration. She looked over at Draco's direction as she sat down but his gaze was determinedly fixed straight ahead. She sighed. What did it matter? In less that 24 hours she would never see him or any of these people ever again. A wave of sadness hit her as she looked around the classroom. Her musings were interrupted when a first-year knocked on the door.

"Excuse me Professor McGonagall," the small boy said timidly. "Professor Dumbledore would like to see Ms. Granger."

Ignoring Harry's questioning gaze, Hermione stood up and followed the boy.

oOoOoOoOo

Hermione returned to the Gryffindor common room after her talk with Dumbledore. He had given her permission to skip her classes for the rest of the day so that she can pack and prepare for her departure. That was over two hours ago.

Yet, here she was, still sitting on the couch, unable to move. She stared unseeingly at the fireplace, remembering the past six years. Remembering the first time she stared in awe at the scarlet train, the first time she performed a spell, the first time she met Harry and Ron. She remembered everything. Her whole life was here – couldn't her parents see that? Her life had been empty before Hogwarts. She could barely remember anything before the day she received her letter, telling her that stories were true, that magic was real. How could she live without it? Even now she could feel her magic thrumming in her veins, as natural as her heartbeat. It was part of who she was.

And her friends – is she supposed to leave them all behind? Pretend they never existed? Ginny, Luna, Neville, Fred, George, Hagrid, the Order. She always knew she was different from other kids and in the muggle world, she never felt like she belonged anywhere. Coming to Hogwarts felt like coming home to her. Hogwarts _was_ home – where she truly belonged. Sure she lost her way at times but now she had started to find it again. She had just started to rebuild her relationships, rebuild her life. Couldn't fate just leave her alone for a moment? It seemed like she and Harry were on the same black list.

Harry. She tried so hard not to think about leaving him. She didn't know if she could bear it. Harry was her brother. She could not separate herself from him any more than she could cut off her own arm. He was supposed to be in her life forever. Their kids were supposed to grow up together. They were family. She couldn't bear to hurt him. Too many people he loved had left him already – how was she going to leave him too?

Everyone she cared about was here, in _this_ world – not in the muggle one. Somewhere in the castle, a little girl is excited for their movie night tomorrow. But it won't happen. And Draco…He had been there for her. He had seen her at her lowest and highest points. Though he might not know it, he had become her best friend, a constant in her life. She cared a great deal about him. She knew that now. She couldn't imagine life without him. The realization came too late. Now she was leaving and one of the people she cared about most wasn't speaking to her.

"What did Dumbledore want?" Harry's voice broke through her thoughts as he walked in through the portrait hole.

Hermione looked at her watch. Lunchtime.

Harry walked over to his friend. "I didn't see you in the Great Hall so I thought I'd check here and bring you food." He placed a tray filled with food on the table in front of Hermione. Upon seeing her face, he grew worried. "Hermione?" he asked. "What's wrong?"

Hermione looked up and seeing Harry's concerned face, she threw her arms around him and held him tight.

"Hey," Harry said softly, returning the hug. "It's going to be fine," he murmured, still holding on to her. "Whatever it is, we'll fix it."

Hermione let out a strangled laugh as she let go of her friend, looking at him with sad eyes. "I'm afraid, we can't fix this one," she said with a sad smile.

"Why don't you start from the beginning," Harry said, wrapping his arm around her. Hermione leaned into him and told him about her morning, leaving out her encounter with Draco. Unlike Draco, he remained silent, letting her finish her story. The only indication of his shock was when he held her tighter when she told him she had to leave.

His silence scared Hermione more than any outburst. "Harry, please say something."

Silence. "Dumbledore can't do anything?" Harry asked after a moment.

"No. His hands are tied. You know how much stricter the Ministry got after…" Hermione bit back a sob. "After what happened in 4th year. With the new restrictions in place, he has no power whatsoever to counteract a student's legal guardian. He can't even tell me how to find a way out of it even if there was one. Since I'm underage, what my parents say, goes."

"Why don't you just cut yourself off from them? Become a…what was it they call it in the muggle world? An emancipated teen."

Hermione shook her head. "They're still my parents, Harry. Besides, how am I supposed to support myself?"

"I'll help you," Harry said. "You're my sister. My family. What's mine is yours."

Hermione didn't want to have this argument again. "I'm sorry Harry, but it's not that simple."

"Please don't leave me, too."

Harry said it so quietly, Hermione had to strain to hear it. At his desperate tone she sat up and gently took his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her. The despair in his eyes made Hermione feel like someone had physically ripped out her heart.

"I don't want this any more than you do," Hermione said. Silent tears were flowing down both of their cheeks but neither looked away. "I love you. Nothing's going to change that." Hermione fought to keep her voice strong, for his sake and hers. "And I'm not leaving you, not really." _Not like your parents and Sirius_. The words were left unsaid. That was what she feared most. That her leaving would cause him the same pain theirs did. For the first time in her life she was glad for Genevieve's presence. Hopefully she would at least help Ron keep Harry's head above water. "You have to stay strong Harry. Are you listening to me?" Harry nodded, his eyes never leaving hers, his gaze getting more desperate, memorizing her face, her soul. "You have to stay strong for Ginny, for all of us." Some of her old fierceness came back to her as she felt Harry's anguish. "I'm _never_ going to leave you. I'll always be here for you ok?" She needed him to understand. "You can visit me. I'll meet you anywhere, anytime. Damn my parents, say the word and I'll be there." She attempted a smile. "You can smuggle me some books so I can learn to apparate like the rest of you. You know how much I love books."

Harry let out a choked laugh. He threw his arms around Hermione holding her tight. Hermione held him just as fiercely, not wanting to let go. They both tried to take comfort in her words but they knew that no amount of visits and meetings would be enough. They would be living separate lives and once she left, nothing would be the same again.


	22. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling nor do I own Harry Potter. See the first ten chapters.

_Last time:_

_Harry let out a choked laugh. He threw his arms around Hermione holding her tight. Hermione held him just as fiercely, not wanting to let go. They both tried to take comfort in her words but they knew that no amount of visits and meetings would be enough. They would be living separate lives and once she left, nothing would be the same again._

**Chapter 21**

_Damn it!_

Draco threw the first thing he touched at the wall. The mug shattered into pieces. Draco didn't bother repairing it with his wand.

With a frustrated sigh, he sat down heavily on the couch. She was gone. He couldn't believe she actually left without saying goodbye. He supposed their earlier argument had something to do with it but _damn it, _he deserved more than that! He fucking saved her life! He deserved better than a slap in the face! Didn't he?!

Draco ran his fingers through his hair.

Of course, it was only _him_. She found time to say goodbye to her precious Gryffindor buddies. He heard Longbottom invite Loony Lovegood for an impromptu farewell party in Gryffindor Tower. Of course, _he_ wasn't invited. Not that he would've wanted to go anyway. She can have her stupid Gryffindor friends. However, the overhead invite _did_ confirm her departure. He was surprised by that. He honestly thought that she would accept Potter's help. And he would bet the whole Malfoy fortune that Potter definitely offered to pay so she can stay. But that was her, he supposed: too proud to accept anyone's help. He gave a dry laugh as he remembered the night she jumped. Her whole life had literally fallen apart and still, she asked him to drop her.

Draco felt a sharp pain as he remembered what she looked like that night.

But for all her stubbornness, at least she didn't drag Sophie into their mess. As only she could do, she somehow found a way to say goodbye to Sophie without him knowing. He was surprised to find Sophie upset when he came in after dinner to put her to bed. Sophie told him that Hermione visited to say goodbye earlier.

"_She said she was leaving because she had to change schools," Sophie said, nearing tears. "I asked her 'Why? You don't like us anymore?' and she said that she loved me very much but sometimes people have to do things they don't want to do. I told her she can come hide here with me and you would take care of us but she just gave me a hug and said that it wasn't possible." Sophie looked at Draco. "Why couldn't she stay? You can take care of her too right?"_

"_She wouldn't let me."_

Draco threw something else at the wall. _Merlin!_ Why did she have to be so damn proud?! He would've done anything for her – _anything_, if it meant that she could stay. But even as he stayed up all night in Sophie's room, watching the door, willing for her to come through it, agonizing over the last words he said to her, he couldn't do it. He couldn't make himself march to Gryffindor Tower and demand to see her one last time. He was too scared. He was too proud. And now she was gone. He always knew their pride would ruin them.

oOoOoOoOo

Hermione felt miserable. Miserable was an understatement. Wretched, crushed, desolate, devastated, sad. No words could describe how she was feeling. Walking away from Hogwarts that morning felt like ripping herself in half and leaving the live part behind. Now she was a walking zombie. She went through the motions but for all intents and purposes she was dead inside. She felt that way once before – when Cedric died. She wasn't sure she could survive another round.

Her friends tried their best. They all did. True to their word, they sent her letters everyday, letting her know what was going on. For her part, she answered them faithfully, telling them she missed them and how her studies were doing. But they all, Hermione included, knew it wasn't the same. They all wondered, though no one dared voice it, how long it would last. How long before they all moved on with their lives. Hermione refused to think about it. She refused to dwell on the life she left behind. She didn't know if she could handle it without going insane. Although, an insane daughter is probably what her parents deserve. Nonetheless, she decided to just put all her energy into her studies. If she concentrated on her books hard enough, nothing else existed – not her parents, not the pressure, not her friends, not the life she left behind. Her tutor was actually quite impressed with how fast she was progressing. The old Hermione would've been happy to know that. The new Hermione liked that it shut her parents up for a bit.

At night it was a different story. With no books to distract her, Hermione had way too much time to think. She would take her wand out from under her pillow and absentmindedly cast spells around her room. Using her magic felt like a breath of fresh air after a long day in a stuffy room. Her mother actually had the gall to demand that Hermione surrender her wand. Luckily, Hermione thought far enough ahead to ask Fred and George to make a counterfeit replica for her. As always, they delivered and presented her with the fake wand during the Gryffindor farewell party they snuck into. So she was able to keep her wand in her room, casting glamour charms on it in the morning so that her parents wouldn't see it even if they were staring right at it.

One person who never wrote to her was Draco. Hermione couldn't summon enough courage to write him a letter herself even though she missed him so much. It hurt to think of the last time she saw him. She knew she was wrong for freaking out at him but can he really blame her when she was clearly experiencing something traumatic? Humility was never their strong point and she didn't think she could handle giving up her pride just yet. She did miss him though. She tried her best to give Sophie a proper goodbye so as not to sadden the little girl any more than she had to be. But Hermione's pride kept her from facing Draco. She wished she could hear his voice or be in his arms again. He made her feel like everything would be alright. She felt like she could face anything as long as he was with her. Now he wasn't. She never realized just how much she had come to rely on him until he wasn't there to catch her anymore.

oOoOoOoOo

One day, Hermione saw the familiar shape of Hedwig flying towards her window. Extremely intelligent, Hedwig knew exactly when to come to Hermione. She knew to wait until the short window of time between the tutor's departure and the Grangers' return from work.

As always, Hermione was glad to see Hedwig and made sure to give her lots of water and treats she had hidden away. This time, the letter came from Luna.

_Dear Hermione,_

_How are you holding up? We're all okay here. Missing you, of course. Nothing's the same without you here. I should let you know that Harry's coping well. I know you're probably worried about him. Ginny's doing a great job making sure he's functioning. Still, he hasn't been the same since you left. None of us are. I would blame it on Weevils but this time I know it's because of your absence. Which brings me to my important news – I've found a way for you to come back!_

_Ever since you left, we've all been trying to find a way for you to return to Hogwarts. We didn't tell you because we didn't want to get your hopes up. Of course, Harry told us about you refusing his help. I told him a Schniggle was probably nearby when he told you because no one in their right mind would refuse such an offer. I know you're a very strong person Hermione and capable of anything but sometimes, it's okay to accept help from friends. You don't always have to be the one looking out for us._

_In any case, we also know how stubborn you can be so we've been trying to find a solution to your situation that would not require so much assistance from us. Finally, I found one! Once again, I don't want to get anybody's hopes up so please just keep this between us for now._

_So I was in the Ravenclaw common room two days ago when I overheard Cho Chang tell Marietta Edgecombe that she needed new dress robes for her date with Cormac McLaggen. I won't bore you with the details but it got me thinking about how Cho always dated quidditch players and then that got me thinking about Cedric Diggory which then reminded me of the scholarship in his name! I almost fell out of my chair when I thought of it. We must have had wrackspurts in our ears because how could we have all forgotten about that? Anyway, so I looked into it and found out that the deadline for applying is the end of this week! So attached is the application form and all the details of the scholarship. The recipient gets their Hogwarts tuition fully funded until they graduate, which is exactly what you need. Good luck Hermione! I really hope you can come back to us soon!_

_Love always,_

_Luna_

Hermione couldn't believe it. She read Luna's letter over and over again just to make sure it was real. For the first time since she left Hogwarts, she felt real hope.

oOoOoOoOo

A week later, the letter finally came. Hermione was eating dinner with her family when a Ministry owl flew to their window. Before her mother could say anything, Hermione opened the window and took the letter from the owl which promptly flew away. Despite her mother's protests, Hermione ran upstairs to her room and opened the letter with trembling hands.

_Dear Ms. Granger,_

_We are pleased to inform you – _

Hermione dropped the letter. She was so excited she couldn't help but let out a little yell. Her heart was beating so fast she thought it would burst out of her chest. She willed herself to calm down and gingerly picked up the letter.

_Dear Ms. Granger,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected as the recipient of the Cedric Diggory scholarship. Attached are the details of the scholarship. We have notified the Headmaster of your status and he is looking forward to your return._

_We are more than happy to support such a deserving young witch and we truly believe that had our son known you, he would've agreed with our assessment. We are sure that you will use your education to better the wizarding world so that our son's death would not have been in vain._

_Congratulations once again._

_Sincerely,_

_Amos and Cecilia Diggory_

No sooner had Hermione finished reading the letter that another owl came to her window – this time, she recognized it as one of the Hogwarts' brown school owls.

_Dear Ms. Granger,_

_Congratulations!_

_I was extremely pleased to hear about the results of the scholarship. I would have told you about it and I would have done everything in my power to ensure your stay at Hogwarts but as we discussed before you left, it was out of my hands. I regret the situation you had been put in but I'm glad that now there is a way for everything to be resolved. _

_Of course, as much as we would love for you to return to Hogwarts, I also know the situation with your parents. If you have decided to pursue a muggle life and not return to Hogwarts, I would completely understand and I sincerely wish you all the best. _

_If, however, you are still interested in returning to our humble school, Hogwarts is waiting and ready to welcome you back. I understand that this is a big decision which requires much thought. Take all the time that you need and know that no matter what, you will always have a home at Hogwarts. Simply let me know when you would like to return, if at all, and someone will come for you faster than you can say 'Lemon drop'._

_Sincerely,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

Hermione's smile got even bigger after reading Dumbledore's letter. She knew he tried his best. He had explained to her that tuition was not the issue at all and he would've let her stay for free if he could. However, the ministry's new rules prevented him from going against her parent's wishes. After the Triwizard Tournament and Dumbledore's "outrageous" claims of Voldemort's return, the ministry was so scared of him building an army that he was prevented from offering a place at Hogwarts to anyone whose guardians were still alive without their guardian's explicit permission. Dumbledore couldn't even help the student find a way to stay. Even if the student had run away from their parents and cut off ties with them, Dumbledore could not offer them a place at Hogwarts for free. If he was allowed to do so, the ministry was worried that students would be brainwashed into running away from their parents and joining Dumbledore. Of course, the whole thing was ludicrous and only a result of mass panic and hysteria, but those were the terms under which Dumbledore was reinstated as Headmaster of Hogwarts after Umbridge left.

In any case, Hermione did not even need to think twice about it. The only thing that held her back from leaving her parents was the knowledge that Hogwarts couldn't take her back even if they wanted to. She promptly wrote a reply back saying that she was ready to go immediately. With a flick of her wand, everything in her room started packing itself neatly into her trunk.

"Hermione!" Mrs. Granger's angry voice was coming up the stairs. "Hermione! Answer – " Mrs. Granger was stunned at the sight that met her when she opened her daughter's bedroom door.

Various things were flying about all over the room – clothes were coming out of the dresser and neatly folding themselves before making their way into a trunk, papers were stacking themselves, books were zooming back and forth around the room and in the middle of it all was Hermione with letters in her hand, grinning like a lunatic.

"What in heaven's name is going on?!"

For a moment, everything in the room stopped moving. Hermione met her mother's eyes. She calmly waved her hand and everything resumed their activity.

"I'm packing Mother," Hermione said simply.

"Packing? Whatever for?" Mrs. Granger's voice was extremely agitated.

"I'm leaving."

"Like hell you are!" Mrs. Granger yelled. "It was that ruddy owl wasn't it? I knew it! You're not going back to that stupid school! Wake up, Hermione! That's not real life!"

"No mother," Hermione's voice was rising. "_This_ is not my life! _Hogwarts_ is my life! I'm a _witch_ mother, deal with it."

"You nasty little ingrate! Is that what they teach you at that bloody school – how to disrespect your parents? We raised you, we fed you, we clothed you, and this is how you repay us?! _Witches_ don't bloody exist! We know you. We're only doing what's best for you!"

"No, you're doing what's best for _you._ All my life, I've done everything you wanted. Not once have you asked me what _I_ wanted. You don't know me at all. You don't know my friends, my interests, my dreams. You have no idea what I've been through the past 6 years. I'm not a little girl anymore mother. I'm my own person. But all my life, you've had this preconceived plan for me – this ideal picture of me and what I should be doing that you stick to without a thought about what I want or what I need or even who I really am. But I'm done. I'm sick and tired of trying to please you all the time. It's my life and not yours and it's time I go back to it."

Hermione pulled her packed trunk out her bedroom door, leaving a stunned Mrs. Granger behind. She carried her trunk down the stairs and headed for the front door. Her father's voice stopped her for a moment.

"If you walk out that door, don't bother coming back," Mr. Granger said seriously. "Our daughter will be dead. If you leave this house, you leave this family forever." 

With a sad, final glance at her father, Hermione walked out the door.


	23. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling nor do I own Harry Potter. See the first ten chapters.

**A/N**: Thank you soo much to everyone who reviewed. If you've reviewed before you know that I try to reply to all the reviews because I really am grateful for them. They truly make my day. I haven't had a chance to reply to reviews for the past couple of chapters because of lack of time. I hope you know that I really am thankful that you took the time to read my story and let me know what you thought. For those who review regularly, I might not say it but I really do look forward to hearing about what you thought after posting a chapter. Of course, new reviewers are also much, _much_ appreciated. I thought about replying with what little time I have but I thought you might appreciate a new chapter more :) I know this is short but it's what I have time for at the moment and I'm hoping there was enough in here to keep you satisfied :) Thanks again for sticking with me!

* * *

_Last time:_

"_If you walk out that door, don't bother coming back," Mr. Granger said seriously. "Our daughter will be dead. If you leave this house, you leave this family forever."_

_With a sad, final glance at her father, Hermione walked out the door._

**Chapter 22**

Hermione took a big breath before stepping off her porch. She really hoped that Dumbledore got her letter because she had no idea where she was going. Luckily, she didn't have to wait long. She barely took five steps away from her house when she saw a familiar shape make its way towards her.

"Harry!" Hermione practically jumped into her friend's arms, dropping her trunk heavily on the sidewalk.

"Hey Hermione," Harry said, tightening his arms around her. "I missed you so much."

"Me too," Hermione replied. "But wait," she said, reluctantly pulling herself out of his embrace. "How'd you get here? As glad as I am to see you, I can't believe Dumbledore let you come! It's too dangerous for you to be out – "

"Calm down Hermione," Harry said with an easy smile. "First of all, no amount of danger would keep me from being here right now. Once Dumbledore told me of your reply to his letter, we both knew I'd be the one to come get you. He knew he couldn't stop me so he just sent some reinforcements along."

"Reinforcements?"

"Wotcher, Hermione!" Tonks greeted, appearing around the corner. "We're sure glad to have you back."

"Tonks!" Hermione eagerly gave her a hug.

"You would've been a great loss to both the Order and the wizarding world," said another voice.

Hermione quickly turned around to find Moody who had just apparated to their spot. "Professor!" Hermione exclaimed with a smile.

Moody held out his hand but Hermione ignored it and proceeded to give the old Auror a hug instead.

"Alright, I think it's best to get a move on," Moody said gruffly but he was smiling.

As they started to walk, Hermione looked back on her house one last time. She noticed her parents watching them from the front window. Harry followed her gaze.

"Hermione, we were here before you came out. We heard what happened in there," Harry said, squeezing her hand. "If – "

"It's alright, Harry, really," Hermione reassured him. "I know where I need to be. It's not my fault they didn't want me."

Harry put his arm around her and pulled her close to his side as they walked. "I guess we're both orphans then," he observed.

"I guess so."

"Oh well, you'll always have me."

"And that is more than enough."

oOoOoOoOo

A huge welcoming party met Hermione as soon as the Entrance doors of Hogwarts opened. The first person she saw was Luna.

"Luna!" Hermione exclaimed, enthusiastically giving the blonde girl a big hug. "You were brilliant! Thank you _so_ much. I wouldn't be here without you."

"Don't worry about it. I didn't do it for you," Luna added, catching Hermione off guard. "I did it for our sanity." She said with a smile, making Hermione laugh.

There were so many people Hermione didn't quite know what to do. She hugged a squealing Ginny next, then Neville, then Professor Dumbledore, a suspiciously teary-eyed McGonagall, an openly crying Hagrid, and the list went on and on. In the midst of greeting all the people, Hermione noticed Draco out of the corner of her eye, standing off to one side, away from the crowd.

Time stopped when their eyes met. Hermione couldn't hear anything, feel anything, see anything. It was as if the rest of the world was blurred out, leaving only her and Draco. Remembering the last time she saw him, Hermione directed a shy smile in his direction. For a moment, it looked like he was about to return it but suddenly, a hard look came into his eyes turning him into the cold Malfoy she used to know. Before she knew it, he turned around and walked away.

oOoOoOoOo

Draco quickly made his way to the first empty classroom he could find. He put his hand to his chest, willing his heart to stop pounding. Seeing her again was too much. He knew showing up with all the Gryffindors was risky but no matter how hard he reasoned against it, he still found himself standing there, watching the door, waiting for her arrival. And when he saw her it was all worth it. When their eyes met, the whole world melted away. All the worry and anxiety he didn't even know he was feeling disappeared. Seeing her made him feel different, better. And that scared him. He wasn't used to feeling so much for someone. He wasn't used to depending on someone, needing someone that much. And when she smiled at him, it was all he could do not to push aside all those people in order to get to her. And therein was the problem. He would always be last. Draco hated being second to anyone and in her life, he would always be last. All these people were allowed to wait for her and welcome her with open arms and beaming smiles. His situation and hers prevented him from being the first one at the door. She would be able to smile at them, be there for them, care for them anytime, while he remained an afterthought – the one she can finally see after she was able to tear herself away from _them_. Her last night at Hogwarts proved that to him. The realization made him stop short and put his walls up. He had to walk away before those people realized just how much power Hermione Granger had over Draco Malfoy.

oOoOoOoOo

Hermione wrung her hands nervously as she made her way to Sophie's room. She had gone there earlier to see Sophie, who was very excited to see Hermione again, but she left as soon as she could, not having enough courage to face Draco just yet. The cold look he gave her scared her and _hurt_ her, a lot. She supposed it was what she deserved after leaving him like she did.

At first she decided to play it his way. If he wanted to be mad at her then fine, she would ignore him and they could go back to being enemies. The thought didn't last long. Eventually, she couldn't take it anymore. She needed to see him. Her stay at her parents' house made her see just how important he was to her. Damn her pride. He could yell at her, hex her, curse her, do whatever he wanted. Hermione was willing to risk it all, give up her pride, if it meant that he would be her friend again.

So as soon as everyone was asleep Hermione snuck out of Gryffindor tower and made her way to Sophie's room. She wasn't sure he'd even be there but she decided to take the chance.

oOoOoOoOo

Draco didn't know what he was doing there. Well, of course he was waiting for _her_. The question is, why? He knew that whatever this thing was between them wouldn't, _couldn't_ work out. They were from two different worlds and he needed to stop this before they got hurt. It was too late for him. He had invested too much of himself already and he would be hurt no matter what, but Hermione, she could still leave unscathed. After all, he was just another friend to her. The thought pained him.

Draco looked up at the sound of the door opening. He heard Hermione take a deep breath before stepping through the door and into his field of view. For a moment they just looked at each other.

"Draco, I – "

Whatever Hermione was about to say was cut off. The sound of his name from her lips undid him. Nothing else mattered. In three strides he had her held tightly in his arms. Hermione wrapped her arms around him and held on just as tight, neither wanting to let go. In that moment she felt safe, she felt complete, she finally felt _home_.

"Draco, I'm so sorry."

"Shh," he soothed. "It's ok. I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have said any of those things – "

Hermione took his face in her hands. "It's ok. Just forget about it. I'm here now."

"Just don't leave me again," Draco murmured, tightening his hold on Hermione, not wanting to let go. Her scent, the way she felt in his arms – he couldn't get enough of her. He searched her face, caressed her hair, as if he couldn't quite believe that she was there and she would disappear any second. Once he had her in his arms he felt like a drowning man who had just broke the surface. He had been drowning for days. He needed her like he needed air. The realization hit him. Merlin, he was in love with Hermione Granger.


	24. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling nor do I own Harry Potter. See the first ten chapters.

**A/N: **Again, thank you so much to those who reviewed! I apologize for not replying but right now I'm in the middle of a summer course – 4 months worth of material crammed into 2 weeks! So you can imagine my lack of time. Anyway, I really hope you like this update. Let me know what you think! Also, how important is it to you to get a reply back for your reviews? I've reviewed my fair share of stories and some authors reply and some don't. And there were some reviewers who were surprised I even replied. So I was wondering, how important is it for you to get a reply back? It's not that I won't ever reply back if you say it's not that important, I'm just genuinely curious. Replying back does, after all, take time away from actually writing the story and I don't know if it's worth it or if you'd rather I spend the time updating the story? Thanks again for your support. I know I keep saying it but your reviews really and truly _do _mean a lot to me. By now, you're probably going, "Shut up! Just get on with it already!" :p Of course, you could've just skipped right to the chapter but you were too nice to do so. So as a reward, without further delay, here's chapter 23.

* * *

_Last time:_

"_Just don't leave me again," Draco murmured, tightening his hold on Hermione, not wanting to let go._

_Once he had her in his arms he felt like a drowning man who just broke the surface. He had been drowning for days. He needed her like he needed air. The realization hit him. Merlin, he was in love with Hermione Granger._

**Chapter 23**

"So, are you ready for today?" Harry asked Hermione over breakfast.

"I think so," Hermione replied, spreading some jam on her toast. "I'm a little nervous. There's so much I need to catch up on."

"Don't worry, we didn't really do much the past couple of weeks anyway," Harry reassured her. "Even the professors were sort of out of sorts when you weren't here. McGonagall was so depressed she just gave a whole bunch of pages to read in class. Hey Ginny," Harry greeted, giving his girlfriend a good morning kiss.

"Good morning to you too," Ginny murmured after they broke for air. "Good morning everyone," Ginny greeted the rest of the table.

"Do you have to do that in front of us? We're trying to eat you know," Ron whined.

"Do you have to be such an arse? Honestly, Ron, I can do whatever I want!"

Hermione tuned out Ginny's retort with a smile. It felt good to be in the Great Hall again. She never realized how much she missed the loud meals until she didn't have them anymore. She looked around the room taking it all in. Her eyes landed on the Slytherin table where she was surprised to find Draco staring intently at her. She surreptitiously smiled in his direction and her heart skipped a beat when she saw his features soften for a moment. He gave her a small smile before turning his attention to Blaise who had asked him something.

Hermione couldn't help but think about the night before. The feeling of being with Draco again was indescribable. She felt so many emotions at once, she couldn't pinpoint and recognize them even if she tried.

They talked for hours well into the night but Hermione couldn't remember what they had said. All she can remember is the feeling of sitting beside him, his arm wrapped around her. They were never apart the whole night. He always held some part of her – he stroked her arm, played with her hair, held her hand as they talked. She was baffled by his behaviour but also grateful for it. After being apart for so long, she felt an overwhelming need to be close to him and she was glad that he understood and she didn't need to ask. Eventually, they fell asleep.

_Hermione woke up with a soft smile that morning when she realized she was still in Draco's arms. Her head lay comfortably on his shoulder while his arm was around hers. She could feel his head resting on top of her hair so she tried to remain still so as not to wake him up._

_Hermione felt the sense of peace she only felt with Draco as she watched his chest rise and fall. She felt like could stay like that forever._

_A slight movement broke her musings. She felt Draco tighten his hold and take a deep breath above her._

"_Good morning," Draco whispered with a smile, making Hermione's heart beat so fast she was surprised he couldn't hear it. _

"_Hey," Hermione answered softly, looking up at him nervously._

"_Are you gonna be okay with today?" Draco asked, concerned at her expression. "Maybe you should take the day off."_

"_No," Hermione said with a smile, relieved that he misinterpreted her expression. "The sooner I get back into things the better. I'm sure I have a lot to catch up on."_

"_Well, don't rush it," Draco replied. "You know you can always ask me for help. I hear I'm quite the brilliant student."_

"_From who? Yourself?" Hermione asked with a grin. "No thanks. Besides, I'll just ask Harry if I don't get something."_

_There was a pause before they both laughed out loud. _

"_Sure, go ahead, if you want to fail out of Hogwarts," Draco said, still laughing._

"_Hey," Hermione retorted. "Harry's not that bad."_

"_At quidditch and saving the world," Draco answered. "School, however, is a different story. Unless you count being able to make up answers out of a divination textbook brilliant."_

"_Well, either way," Hermione said, reluctantly getting up. "I won't have any questions to ask if I don't make it to class." She held out her hand to Draco. "Time to get up."_

_Draco took her hand in his. Hermione felt a warm current shoot through her arm, making her stomach flutter._

_Draco looked at her questioningly as he pulled himself to his feet. "See you tonight?" _

"_It's a date," Hermione answered with a smile, before walking out the door._

Pansy had now joined Draco and Blaise's conversation. As she watched Pansy try to get Draco's attention, Hermione couldn't help but think about what the other girls saw in him. Draco was attractive, she'll give him that. But while other girls admired his deep set eyes, Hermione liked how she could get lost in their depths when he let his guard down. While they gushed about his well-toned body, Hermione liked how well she fit in his strong embrace. While they wondered about his lips, she liked the many different smiles he made with them. While they swooned over his hair, Hermione liked how his hair fell over his eyes, unkempt after a long day. Girls like Pansy didn't deserve him. He deserved someone who saw more than his looks, more than his money. He deserved someone who recognized how smart, caring, and amazing he was. Someone who knew him and loved him for who he was, faults and all. Someone like her. The thought hit her like a ton of bricks. She might be falling in love with Draco Malfoy.

Her terrifying revelation was interrupted by Genevieve's voice.

"…robes for my interview on Tuesday," the girl was saying.

"Who's doing the interviewing?" Harry asked.

"The letter only said 'current ambassadors' but some of Father's contacts in the ministry have mentioned that the Minister of Foreign and External Affairs himself might do them," Genevieve answered.

"Tuesday?" Hermione was surprised to hear her voice ask the question.

"Oh that's right, you didn't know," Harry said to Hermione. "Genevieve applied for this internship at the ministry and they're giving her an interview on Tuesday. Can you imagine? One of us, ambassador to France or something?"

Hermione nodded weakly. "Congratulations Genevieve. When…when did you find out?"

"Well, they told me I was up for an interview a couple of weeks ago," Genevieve said, staring at Hermione haughtily. She knew Hermione got the same letter. "_Then_, they sent me a letter with the time and date three days ago."

_Three days ago. _Three days ago she was still at her parent's house. She never got a letter then and her friends never told her of any post coming for her. They wouldn't have seen it anyway. Didn't owls deliver right to the recipient regardless of where they were? Various scenarios ran through Hermione's head. Maybe Hermione's mother intercepted it. But no, owls, ministry ones especially, were trained to hand letters right to their recipient. And when would her mother have taken it? Hermione was at home all the time. Maybe they couldn't find her. But the ministry owl from Mr. Diggory's office managed to find her without any problems.

Hermione grew worried. Up until now, she merely assumed that they hadn't set the dates yet. But they had. Three days ago – and Hermione still had not gotten hers. Abruptly, she stood up.

"Dumbledore wants to talk to me before class about catching up to the material," Hermione explained to Harry's questioning gaze. She promptly made her way to the Headmaster's office.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Ms. Granger," Dumbledore greeted her with a smile. "To what do I owe this pleasant surprise? You're settling back in well, I hope?"

"Yes, sir. It's good to be back," Hermione replied. "Umm, I was just wondering – have any mail come for me while I was gone?"

"Not that I know of." Dumbledore answered. "Were you waiting for something specific?"

Hermione told him about the internship, her application, the interview and Genevieve's appointment.

"Hmm, that is quite strange, indeed," Dumbledore said, his face serious. "I haven't heard anything from the Ministry or any other sources about your interview. Although if you like, I can give you permission to go to the Ministry right now and ask them about it."

"Thank you sir," Hermione replied.

oOoOoOoOoOo

The Ministry of Magic looked much better than the last time Hermione had seen it. Of course, the last time she saw it, Voldemort and his DeathEaters were tearing the place apart. As she stepped out of one of the many floo fireplaces, Hermione thought they did a pretty good job of restoring everything. Remembering her purpose, she nervously stepped into an elevator and headed for the Department of Foreign and External Affairs.

"Foreign Affairs." A serene female voice announced as the elevator doors opened with a _Ping!_

"Good morning, how can I help you?" A blonde girl in her mid-twenties asked Hermione when she walked up to the front desk.

"Is there someone I can speak to about the student internship?"

"That would be Henrietta Crosswire. She's down that hallway, room 402," the receptionist directed.

"Thank you," Hermione said as she made her way to the room. When she reached it, she took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Come in," said a voice.

Hermione opened the door and entered a standard office. On one side of the room was a bookshelf filled with binders, a filing cabinet was in the other, and in the middle of it was a messy mahogany desk, almost entirely covered with papers. Behind the desk sat a thin, stern looking woman not unlike Rita Skeeter.

"What can I do for you?" Henrietta Crosswire asked, looking up at Hermione.

"I came to ask about my application for the internship."

Henrietta motioned for her to sit in the chair in front of the desk. "Name?"

"Hermione Granger."

Henrietta stood up and walked over to the filing cabinet. "Granger, granger," she murmured as she looked through the files. "Ah, here it is." She sat back down on her desk as she rifled through the folder in her hand. "Ah, yes, Ms. Granger. Quite a good application you had."

"Thank you," Hermione replied. "What I'm wondering is when my interview is scheduled."

Henrietta looked at her confusedly. "I'm afraid I don't follow you."

"You have notified candidates of their interview times correct?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, the letters were sent out a few days ago."

"I received the invitation for an interview but I'm afraid I didn't receive the latest letter with my date and time."

"Well, of course not," Henrietta said simply.

"Excuse me?" Hermione asked, confused.

"We did consider you for an interview but you had left school." Henrietta looked at Hermione like she was an imbecile. "For obvious reasons, you can't possibly be part of the internship if you didn't even finish school."

"But that was only temporary. I'm back now, so is it possible to schedule me in?"

Henrietta looked at her file again. "It says here that you've 'dropped out of Hogwarts permanently' and have decided to 'leave the wizarding world to pursue a muggle career'. Is that not correct?"

"Yes, I mean no." Hermione was confused. She had never notified the department about her departure and she knew Dumbledore never mentioned it to them either. He didn't even know she had applied until this morning. Besides, she knew that Dumbledore never changed her status at Hogwarts hoping she'd find a way to come back. This whole time she had been a Hogwarts student on paper. Henrietta was still looking at her. "What I meant to say is that yes, I did leave for a short period. There was an incident at home but everything's resolved now so I'm back at school. I'm not sure where you received this information."

Henrietta sighed exasperatedly. "You told us yourself, Ms. Granger. You sent us a letter saying that you were withdrawing your application because you were no longer living in the wizarding world. I even have the letter right here." She handed Hermione the letter.

She was right. There on the parchment, in Hermione's handwriting was a letter saying that she didn't want to be interviewed anymore.

"I didn't write this letter," Hermione said.

"It's in the same handwriting as the rest of the application. Did you not write that one, either?" Henrietta asked sarcastically.

"The application I wrote, but not this letter." Hermione was getting frustrated. Why would anyone do this? She took out her wand and pointed it at the parchment. "_Specialis Revelio._" In an instant her writing disappeared leaving the same words but in a different handwriting she knew well. Genevieve's handwriting.

Seething but trying to remain calm on the outside, Hermione showed Henrietta the parchment.

"Oh. Oh my," said Henrietta.

"Since I clearly didn't write this letter and my enrolment in Hogwarts is in order, is it possible to schedule in an interview time then?" Hermione asked.

"I'm afraid that's not possible. This internship is extremely competitive. All the times have been booked and the ambassadors themselves had to schedule in these interviews in their busy schedules. The interviews are in a few days. For logistical reasons, we simply do not reschedule."

"Isn't their anything you can do?"

"Well, I suppose we could look into it. This _is_ an extenuating circumstance." Henrietta sighed. She removed her glasses and looked at Hermione in a deprecating manner. "To be honest, I wouldn't hold my breath. I'm not trying to be harsh dear but this is the reality: sorting everything out for you would take some time. We would have to confirm your enrolment at Hogwarts, find a suitable time for the interview, find an ambassador available for that time, etc. Interviews are in a few days and by the time you get your turn, they would have interviewed most, if not all candidates. By then, I'm sure the spots would have all been filled. I suggest you just let this one go." Hermione must have looked a bit shocked and outraged because Henrietta continued. "I'm only trying to save you some disappointment dear. In this line of work, muggleborns – " she paused. "Well, let's just say that these jobs can be influential and we are looking for those who have already been exposed to influential people and know how to play the game. The people you would be interacting with are very powerful individuals. They are not just nobodies off of Diagon Alley. Heritage, where you come from _does_ matter. Sadly, as good as your application is, it's just not as competitive as many of our other applicants."

"Pureblood applicants you mean?" Hermione asked, trying to keep her voice calm.

"It doesn't matter how you spin it," Henrietta said waving Hermione's comment aside. "The point is, even with the interview, you probably would not make it."

"Well, that's for me to find out," Hermione declared stubbornly. "I would still like to go ahead with the interview. Thanks for looking into this matter for me."

Henrietta nodded in acknowledgement, a sardonic smile on her lips. "If you wish."

Hermione stood up. "Thank you for your time. I look forward to receiving the new time and date for the interview." She held out her hand. Henrietta stiffly shook it before Hermione walked out the door.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Draco was worried. He hadn't seen Hermione in any of his classes all day. At first he thought that maybe she just decided to take his advice and is now resting in her room. But as he listened to Potter and his friends, he realized they didn't know where she was either. Wouldn't she have mentioned it to them if she decided to simply take the day off?

_Get a grip. She probably just wanted some time to herself and didn't want anyone to fuss over her._

He had to stop doing this. He had to stop freaking out every time he spent more than a few minutes without seeing her. She was here, at school and her parents have abandoned her so there's no reason for her to leave again.

Merlin, this was driving him crazy! Yes, he might kind of, sort of, maybe, be in _love_ with her (he shuddered at the word) but it doesn't mean that he had to pine for her like a lovesick puppy. He didn't even _know_ what love was, not this kind anyway. For all he knew, he could just be worrying about her like Potter would worry about her. She seemed to have that effect on people.

_Great, now I'm analyzing Potter's feelings._ He shook his head. Feeling the need to clear his thoughts, he grabbed his broom and headed outside.

"Draco!"

A female voice called out to him as he walked across the school grounds. He stopped and turned around.

"Oh good, I caught you," Genevieve said as she neared him. "Free period?"

"Yeah, I was just – "

"Oh, good, me too," she said, interrupting him. "So, since we're going to be Heads next year, Dumbledore – "

"You foul, loathsome, evil little bitch!"

Draco took a step back when Hermione suddenly appeared, her wand pointed at Genevieve's throat.

"What are you doing Hermione?" Genevieve asked innocently. She looked toward Draco for help.

"Oh no, I'm staying out of this one," Draco said with a blank face, trying not to smile. "I don't ever want to be on the wrong end of Granger's wand. I've been there and it's not pretty."

Genevieve coolly turned to Hermione. "What is it now Hermione?"

"Why are you trying to ruin my life?!" Hermione asked, her eyes blazing.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Genevieve answered.

"The letter," Hermione seethed.

"Simple. I went after what I want," Genevieve said matter-of-factly. "Like I said, I'm strong enough to do whatever it takes to get to the top, unlike you."

"Well, if I'm not a threat why did you go through all that effort?"

"You're so naïve Hermione," Genevieve said with a short laugh. "I knew you wouldn't be much competition. All this," she said waving her hand to show the school. "You don't deserve any of it. I know I will always be superior but I'm also not stupid. I had to put a little insurance to make sure I get the spot."

Genevieve looked at Hermione. Though her wand never wavered, Genevieve could tell that she was starting to get to the other witch. She decided to end this and bait Hermione into doing something that would get her expelled.

"What are you going to do about it mudblood?" Genevieve asked, not hesitating to use the term in front of Draco. She knew he'd probably even enjoy it. "Curse me? You don't have the guts. You couldn't even stand up to your parents until you actually had a way out."

Hermione put her wand down.

Genevieve smiled. "I knew it. You're weak."

Suddenly, Hermione swung her arm, her fist connecting with Genevieve's face.

"No," Hermione said as Genevieve reached up to find blood on her face. "You're just not worth it."

"I do not envy her right now," Draco said as Genevieve ran to the hospital wing. "You _know_ how to throw a punch."

Hermione whirled around. She didn't even notice he was there.

"Want to tell me what that was about?" Draco asked.

Hermione shook her head. She was still trying to stop herself from running after Genevieve and ripping her hair out.

"Alright, come on," Draco said taking her hand. After checking that it was ok, he pulled Hermione toward him.

Hermione focused her eyes on Draco who was now sitting on his broom. "What?"

"I have something to show you."

"I'm not getting on _that_," Hermione said, looking warily at the broom.

"I'll have you know, I'm an excellent flier," Draco said, still holding her hand. "I promise I won't drop you. Do you trust me?"

Hermione had a brief flashback of Cedric asking her that same question. She looked at Draco. With a sigh, she got on the broom.

oOoOoOoOoOo

They flew around until Draco felt Hermione start to relax against him. He headed for their destination and lightly landed on the ground.

"We're here," Draco said to Hermione, whose face was buried against his chest.

Hermione looked up and quickly got off the broom thankful to be on solid ground. "Where are we?" she asked, looking around in awe.

They were standing on a small rocky beach with lots of pebbles instead of sand. In front of them was a slow moving river, the colour the deepest blue Hermione had ever seen. They were standing in the bottom of what looked like a gorge. Cliffs rose up on either side of the river and Hermione could make out a forest on top of them, the tall, green, trees forming a canopy above. The place was so serene and beautiful, Hermione couldn't help but stare in wonder.

"I come out here when I need to think," Draco said, watching Hermione closely. Her wondrous expression made him catch his breath.

"Where is here, exactly?"

"The Forbidden Forest."

Hermione looked at him questioningly, not quite believing him.

"See those trees up there?" Draco asked pointing to the forest above. "That's still part of the Forbidden Forest. This just happens to be a river that runs through it."

"I wonder why no one's ever heard of this place. Even Hagrid hasn't mentioned something like this. I don't even think people know there's a river."

"Well, we are pretty deep into the forest. Closer toward the sea actually, which I suspect is where this river goes. And I doubt anyone has ever been this far, the forest, is after all, _forbidden_ and all."

Hermione glared at him but she was smiling.

"It's so peaceful here," Hermione said with a soft smile. Draco noticed that her eyes were still troubled.

"Want to tell me what happened back there?"

With a sigh, Hermione proceeded to tell him about her morning and her trip to the Ministry.

"I don't even know why I bother. Maybe she's right – an interview probably would not have helped anyway. I knew going in that they would want Purebloods and – "

"That's it!" Draco interjected, shocking Hermione. "I'm so sick of you feeling sorry for yourself! You care too much about what everyone thinks about you! About what some idiot in the ministry thinks of you."

"It's not just one idiot!" Hermione yelled back. "When so many people tell you one thing about yourself you start to believe it ok? So you know what – screw you! Screw you Mr. Rich, Elite Pureblood and can be whatever the hell you want. Yeah, screw you. You don't know what my life has been like or how hard this has been or how hard I've worked. I've worked since I was 11 to freaking get here," Hermione continued, tears streaming down her face. "You don't understand –"

"Why don't you just shut up for one second?!" Draco said, grabbing Hermione's shoulders. "I don't care what anyone else thinks about you! I don't care what the Ministry thinks about you, I don't care what Genevieve thinks about you, I don't even care what you think about yourself, but I believe in you ok?!" Draco paused. He bent his face closer to hers, their foreheads touching. "I can care less what anyone else thinks," Draco said fiercely, holding Hermione's gaze. "I believe in you. And I want this for you more than anything, but you…you just gotta start believing yourself, Hermione."

oOoOoOoOoOo

"You know," Draco said quietly breaking the silence. They were sitting on a flat boulder looking out onto the river. "You don't have to prove yourself to anyone. You don't have to keep trying so hard to live up to people's expectations. It's not worth it. Once you reach something they're always going to want more. You'll always have to achieve something else, something higher. They're never going to be content. There's always something more. I should know." He turned towards Hermione. "The only person you have to prove anything to is yourself."

Hermione looked down. "It's just so hard. Magic is a part of me. I can't just live a mundane muggle life. But now that I've left that world, I have to succeed in this one. I have to prove my parents wrong. But my blood is a part of me too and with it, I can't make it in this world either. It seems like no matter what I do or how hard I try, I just don't belong anywhere."

Draco gently grabbed her chin and tilted her face up to his. "You belong right here…with me." With that, he brought his lips down to hers.


	25. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling nor do I own Harry Potter. See the first ten chapters.

A/N: Before I say anything else, if you read nothing else in this note, read this: **I suggest reading at least the previous chapter if not the last 2 chapters before reading this one. I think it'd be a good refresher so you get the full impact of this chapter. **Thank you. The rest is optional.

Yes, I know it's been a while. I tried really hard to update, believe me but life has been extremely busy and some major changes and incidents happened which kept me from writing. I'm currently drowning in homework and I was actually supposed to get things done today but I spent the whole day on this, instead. I am really, really sorry about not replying back to reviews. That was definitely not my intention but time ran away with me again. I will definitely try to do better this time around if you are kind enough to review. I'm so grateful for all the support you guys have shown me and this story so far. I really hope you will stick with this story until the end. I know I say it over and over again but I really do mean it: Your reviews make a huge difference and they brighten up my day like you wouldn't believe so thank you so much for your thoughts.

One thing that did strike me though was that most of the reviews for the last chapter focused on what Genevieve did to Hermione instead of the kiss at the end. I found that amusing because I thought that people would react to the kiss more. I guess Genevieve gets on people's nerves. So I looked back on the kiss and I realized that it might've seemed ambiguous. I mean, yeah, Draco made a move but we don't really know what happened after. Did Hermione slap him? Kiss him back? So hopefully, this chapter clarifies that a little. A little hint: there is no Genevieve in this chapter. Is that good or bad for you?

In other news, I won't bore you with the details but this school year has been and will be super intense. That means that it may be a while until the next update. Like I said, I really hope you will stick with this story until the end. I have the ending all planned out but it's the middle-getting-there part that's difficult to write. In any case, I am giving you two choices: Would you rather I update when I can and you'll make do with reading the previous chapter, etc. as a refresher when lag times get long? Or would you rather that I not update at all until I have most, if not all, the chapters done? The next update will be a very long time away but at least you won't have to wait as long for the next chapter. Drop me a line and let me know. Your thoughts are really important to me. To make it 10 times easier for you, I'll even give you a template that you can just copy and paste =)

Hi/Hello

I thought this chapter was (insert adjective). (Insert other thoughts about the story here). I think that you should (update when you can / update when everything is done). I plan to (stick with this story / ditch this story). (Insert other comments here like OMG Draco is soo hot! lol j/k).

Because the next update might take a while and as a treat for sticking with me, this chapter is extra long just for you =) Like I said, please read at least the last 2 chapters as a refresher. Ok, I've digressed enough. Here is Chapter 24.

_

* * *

_

Last time:

_Hermione looked down. "It's just so hard. Magic is a part of me. I can't just live a mundane muggle life. But now that I've left that world, I have to succeed in this one. I have to prove my parents wrong. But my blood is a part of me too and with it, I can't make it in this world either. It seems like no matter what I do or how hard I try, I just don't belong anywhere."_

_Draco gently grabbed her chin and tilted her face up to his. "You belong right here…with me." With that, he brought his lips down to hers._

**Chapter 24**

Hermione stood frozen in shock. A million thoughts went through her head but she remained paralyzed. Draco was kissing her. She didn't know what to do. She shouldn't be doing this. His lips felt soft and warm against hers but still, she didn't move.

Draco gently kissed Hermione's lips for a few moments waiting for her to respond. When her lips remained still, he started to pull away, deeply disappointed.

As soon as Draco started to pull away, all thoughts went out of Hermione's head. She felt an agonizing sense of loss and she acted on instinct. When Draco's lips left hers, Hermione pulled him in with a gasp and captured his lips in a searing kiss.

Time stopped. There really was no other way to describe it. At that moment, nothing else mattered. When Hermione pulled him in, Draco wasted no time in showing her just how he felt about her. He poured out his whole self, body and soul into that kiss. She made him feel invincible. She made him feel like he could do anything - even be a good person. She made him feel hope. To finally be with her after all this time, after everything they've been through, the feeling was indescribable. Merlin, how he loved her! He knew that now. He loved Hermione Granger. The impossibility of the situation didn't even matter in that moment. With her in his arms, he was never more sure of anything in his life.

Hermione matched his fervor. She'd never had a kiss like this before. A thousand emotions rushed through her threatening to burst but she didn't feel overwhelmed. When their lips met that second time everything came together. Everything felt…right. She knew she needed Draco but this, _this_ was different. He was never closer to her than he was at that moment. At that moment, she knew him. He usually let his guard down around her but not like this. At that moment he was an open book, completely hers to read and she couldn't get enough. Her body went haywire. Her heart beat faster than a hummingbird, there was a stampede in her gut, and her whole body was on fire. She felt complete when she was with him but this was different. He made her feel _alive_. He made everything come together, made her sure of herself. In that moment she knew who she was. She knew her place in the world. Her place was with him.

They reluctantly broke apart for air. They stared at each other for a few moments, gasping. With her flushed cheeks and bright eyes, Draco had never seen anyone look so beautiful.

"What?" Hermione whispered questioningly at his expression.

"Beautiful," Draco murmured, giving her a gentle kiss.

Hermione gave him a soft smile.

Draco pulled her onto his lap and held her close as they watched the river go by.

"I guess this changes things," he said, breaking the silence.

"Does it have to?" Hermione asked, turning around in his arms to face him.

Draco looked at her incredulously. "You have to be daft not to know how I feel about you after that kiss. And I know you're definitely not indifferent either."

"Are you sure about that?" Hermione asked blankly. At Draco's shocked face, she decided to take pity on him. "I'm kidding," she said, giving him a brilliant smile. She kissed him on the cheek. "I care about you." Draco raised his eyebrow. "A lot," she added with a smile.

"That's better," he said with a grin, before pulling her in for a real kiss.

"Alright," Hermione said with a sigh after they broke apart. "Seriously though, this can't change things."

"What do you mean? It's a little late for that don't you think?"

"Just hear me out," Hermione said, pulling herself out of his arms. She started walking along the shore. "I like you and you like me. But out there," she waved her arms at the forest above. "We can't be together. My friends – "

"Screw your friends," Draco interrupted.

"And your family?" Hermione continued, looking at him pointedly. "Even if by some miracle, Harry sees sense and becomes ok with this, it's not just Hogwarts we have to worry about. Voldemort and your father want you to become a DeathEater and they would definitely have a problem about you dating me. You refusing them would put your mother _and_ Sophie in danger."

"I won't let anything happen to them," Draco declared stubbornly.

"And me?" Hermione insisted. "Voldemort's already after me for Harry. Merlin knows what he and your father would do if they knew about us. All that aside, we're just too different. This shouldn't even be happening! I'm Hermione freaking Granger and you're Draco sodding Malfoy!"

"You're hot and I'm cold, I'm yes and you're no, I'm in and you're out, you're up and I'm down," Draco replied dryly. Hermione didn't smile. Draco sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "We've been through this Hermione. You know me. I'm not just Malfoy anymore just like you're not just Granger. Why can't you get over the past?"

"Because you deserve better," Hermione said. "We would never work out. There's too much against us. You should be with someone else."

"I don't want anyone else!" Draco yelled.

"We can't always get what we want," Hermione said quietly.

"Well, _I_ do!"

"See? We can't even go two minutes without fighting!" At Draco's glare she continued. "Don't you think I want this too? I _want _this to work! But we both know it's impossible. I _want_ to be with you more than anything!"

"It sure doesn't seem like it," Draco replied.

Hermione remained silent.

"You know what? I'm done," Draco added after a moment. "I'm tired of this crap. I'm tired of having everything thrown back in my face. Everything that comes out of your mouth are excuses – just excuses. You hide behind the past, Voldemort, our reputations, our classmates, everything. The truth is, you're just scared. You're scared of leaving behind everything that's familiar for something so unpredictable. On some level, you know that we could be something great but you're too scared to take the risk. It's always been like that – predictable Hermione Granger. You plan out a road map and you stick to that road no matter what, never wavering. Everything that pushed you off course has always been out of your control and you just react to it. You were never one to explore an unmarked trail on your own. You're a coward."

Draco's words felt like a stab to Hermione. She was starting to find it hard to breathe but she refused to breakdown in front of him. Hermione summoned Draco's broom. She looked at Draco and tried to keep her voice from shaking.

"Take me back now, please," she said in a strong voice, meeting Draco's eyes.

Wordlessly, Draco walked over to her and they made their way back to Hogwarts.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Hermione jumped off the broom and walked away as soon as they landed. Draco didn't stop her.

Tears blurred her vision as Hermione walked blindly around the school grounds.

_Why is the whole world against me?!_

She must've been a real bitch in her past life because there's no other reason for her life to be this bad. Nothing was going right, the man she loved was dead, and she just pushed away the only person who knew her better than she knew herself. She kicked the ground in frustration and noticed where she was. Her feet had unconsciously carried her to Cedric. Well, Cedric's memorial. Dumbledore had put a small marble stone in a quiet corner of the grounds in memory of Cedric. It was simple, just about four feet tall, with a shape not unlike a headstone. His name and house was inscribed on the marble with the words, "His courage and kindness knew no bounds."

Hermione crumpled at the foot of the stone and broke down, letting her sobs completely take over her body. She started to murmur his name over and over. _Cedric…Cedric…_ Her voice grew louder and louder until she was screaming herself hoarse, her fists pounding against the marble.

"Cedric! Why did you leave me?! I needed you! I _still_ need you! Cedric please," Hermione's voice lowered to a whisper, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I love you. Please come back. Cedric, please."

Hermione felt cold and alone as she lay against the stone. She never realized that someone could feel so many different emotions in a single day – contentment this morning, anger at Genevieve, elation at kissing Draco, guilt _for_ kissing Draco, and now grief and loneliness. This day, no, this _year_ had been an insane test of her character. She had cried more this year than in her whole life put together. Hermione put her arms around herself to warm the cold inside her. She lay there for what seemed like hours before she realized something – Cedric wasn't coming back. Cedric was dead. Cedric was…_dead_. Two years. Almost two years have passed by and before this moment, Hermione never allowed herself to think that Cedric was dead. She knew this on some level but it never fully hit her until now. She knew in her mind that he was gone but she never _felt_ it in her heart, in the depth of her soul. She had never _accepted _it. Until now. He was gone. No amount of magic or knowledge could ever bring him back. Killing Voldemort will not bring him back. The only thing that kept Hermione going for so long was a thought in the back of her mind that maybe…maybe if she accomplished something – helped defeat Voldemort or find the answer in a book – what she did would bring Cedric back. Now, accepting his death came with a sense of hopelessness that threatened to crush her. But it also came with clarity. She was still here. She had to go on. She had to make sure his death wasn't in vain and more importantly, she had to _move_ on. Hermione believed in fate and it looks like they just weren't meant to be together. She was sent to his life to show him true love and happiness before he died and he, in turn, was sent to her to love her unconditionally and help her see value in herself. So now what? Now that fate had run its course with Cedric, where does that leave her? She didn't know where to start. She didn't know where she belonged.

And there it was. Another flash of clarity. Thinking of the kiss by the river, Hermione jumped up and ran towards the castle.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Draco was fed up. He didn't know what to do with her anymore. He decided to stay in his room for hours seething. He was Draco Malfoy – he didn't chase after girls. He refused to go to the Great Hall for dinner or to see Sophie. He knew that his resolve would break if he saw her again tonight. Why were things so difficult?! He thought they were finally headed in the right direction. That kiss was amazing, unbelievable, incredible. He had never had a kiss like that before. Merlin, she drove him crazy! No one had _ever_ made him feel like this before. He wanted to shake her and snog her at the same time. What the hell was wrong with her?! One minute she's kissing him like no tomorrow and the next, she pushes him away. Was she playing him? He refused to believe that. Hermione wasn't like that. Or at least, the Hermione he knew wasn't like that. And that's just it. He knew her. He knew her inside and out. Sometimes, he knew her better than she knew herself and he knew that she had some feelings for him too. Why was she fighting this? Granted, her arguments were valid but he was sure they could find a solution if she was just willing to try. And that was the problem. Hermione was an amazing person but she was just so damn insecure! Draco didn't think he had ever met a person more insecure than Hermione was. While he loved the fact that she was different from other girls who flaunted their assets, it was frustrating when even she didn't recognize the greatness in herself. Draco couldn't understand why it was so hard for her to see that. She's Hermione Granger for Merlin's sake! She's absolutely stunning and wickedly smart, strong, fierce, passionate, loyal, kind, compassionate. She's also infuriating, emotional, impatient, and scathingly sarcastic when she wants to be. She was incredible and he loved her. The thought brought him up short. Was he really going to let her go so easily? It was hard enough for him to find people he could tolerate, even harder to find girls that interested him. If that kiss was anything to go by, he was much more than interested in Hermione.

Draco looked at his watch. It was really late and she was probably asleep but he had to try. Draco crept out of the dungeons and hurriedly made his way over to Sophie's room, hoping that Hermione would be there. He would try again. He would make her see sense. No matter how long it took he would help her see how amazing she really was.

Eventually, he reached Sophie's suite. He quietly opened the door and slowly walked in. To his great relief, he saw Hermione sleeping on the couch. She looked like she had waited for him because she still had her uniform on and she didn't even transfigure the sofa yet. The thought made him smile. However, the smile slowly disappeared as he looked at her. Her sleeping face looked troubled and she was slightly shaking. He could hear her murmur softly against the cushion. She was clearly having a bad dream. Concerned, Draco moved closer and reached out to wake her up.

"Cedric," Hermione whispered.

Draco pulled his hand back quickly, as if she burned him. With a disgusted look he hurriedly walked out of the room.

_Diggory._ Draco thought with a disgusted sneer. He couldn't believe he deluded himself into thinking that Hermione was interested in him. Malfoy, the Death Eater? Of course not! Draco let out a sardonic laugh. If love made people blind, it was extra mad at him and made him deaf and stupid too. Who the hell was he kidding? He didn't deserve her. He was nothing but an evil git, Voldemort's lackey. No, she deserved someone like Diggory – someone pure and noble and _good_. The funny thing was he didn't even remember Diggory was dead until after a few minutes. The fates must be laughing at him now. It's bad enough for Hermione to want someone else, but to be beaten by a dead guy? That's just rich. To think he thought that her arguments were a result of insecurity! No, she was just trying to let him down easy, blaming the situation so he wouldn't see that she wasn't interested in him at all. Why does she have to be so damn _good_? Why did she bother to spare his feelings? She should have just laughed in his face and told him he was an evil bastard who has no chance in hell of ever catching her eye. It would've made things so much easier. Now he can't get her out of his mind. He can't get that kiss out of his mind. Why did she kiss him? Was she playing him after all? Was it a one-time sick experiment like running your fingers through a flame to see how slow you can go before you get burned? Let's see what happens if I kiss Draco Malfoy?

oOoOoOoOoOo

Hermione woke up with a crick in her neck. She looked down at her rumpled uniform and sighed. _I guess he's really mad at me_. Draco must've been furious enough not to come see Sophie just to avoid her. She couldn't blame him. She was an idiot. Who else would be stupid enough to turn Draco Malfoy down? And it had nothing to do with his status or wealth. He was an incredible person and they _fit_. Despite the impossibility of the situation considering the world they live in, they made sense. Hermione just had to let go to see that.

She heard Sophie waking up in the bedroom. Hermione looked at her watch. She must've woken up later than she thought. She had minutes before her first class so she had no time to change. She hurriedly went to the bathroom to freshen up and she used her wand to smooth her uniform and clean her teeth. The spell left an unpleasant aftertaste in her mouth but she had no other choice. She walked out of the bathroom at the same time Sophie stumbled sleepily out of her room.

"Good morning Sophie," Hermione greeted giving the little girl a hug and picking her up. She placed a kiss on top of Sophie's head. Whatever happened between her and Draco, Hermione hoped that she would still be able to see Sophie.

"Morning Hermione," Sophie answered. "Did my brother visit Mum again? He didn't give me a kiss goodnight last night."

"No," Hermione answered, ruffling Sophie's hair. "He was just really busy with homework. I'm sure he'll come see you today."

"Ok," Sophie said, content with the answer for now. "Do you want to have breakfast with me?"

"I wish I could but I need to get to class," Hermione said as she walked toward the door. "I'll see you later!"

"Bye Hermione!" Sophie called.

Hermione hurried to her first class and she got to her seat just before the first bell rang.

"Hey Hermione," Harry greeted as he slid in beside her. "I didn't see you at breakfast today. Everything ok?"

"Yup," Hermione answered. "I just fell asleep in the library again."

Harry smiled and nudged her arm playfully. "I know I can't stop you so just don't go overboard okay? You really didn't miss that much when you were gone, I promise."

"I know, but I can't stop it you know? It's second nature for me to worry about school."

The class began, cutting off Harry and Hermione's conversation. As Professor Binns droned on about another war, Hermione looked over at the Slytherins. She kept trying to catch Draco's eye to gauge how mad he was at her but he resolutely kept his eyes away from her direction. Halfway through the period, Hermione sighed. Usually he would have looked at her by now. He would even smile at her when no one was looking but she wasn't expecting that. Not today. But a little acknowledgement would be nice. He could even glare at her. At least she'd be able to have some idea before she talked to him.

Eventually, it was time for the last class of the day. Despite having two other classes with her, Draco still had not looked at Hermione's direction. Throughout lunch he kept his attention on Blaise, his gaze never once wavering from the Slytherin table. Hermione was getting frustrated. Yes, she screwed up but was that it? He never wanted to talk to her again? If he liked her so much why would he suddenly pretend like she never existed? He was the one who wanted to try wasn't he? Even if they weren't going to work out, was he really going to throw away their friendship without so much as a conversation?

As she packed her bag, Hermione was planning on how best to corner Draco after dinner to force him to talk. Luckily, she didn't have to wait long since she noticed Draco come up and ask the professor a question. Hermione left the room with the other students but she hung back around the corner and waited for Draco to come out.

Draco walked out of the class exhausted and hungry. He wanted nothing more than to get dinner and then collapse. He might even just curl up with Sophie tonight. He didn't think he had the energy to make it from her suite to the dungeons and he couldn't _not_ see her tonight after avoiding her suite yesterday. Avoiding Hermione was harder than he thought. He never realized how many times he looked at Hermione in a day. Even when he hated her he still looked at her, if only to irritate her. His eyes had wanted to look at her all day but he refused to do so. She obviously didn't care about him so he needed to get over her. The quickest way to do that would be to never see her again. Yeah ok, so his plan was a little flawed but he sure as hell was going to try. He was trying to put his notes in his bag when an arm pulled him into an empty classroom.

Within seconds, Hermione had cast a locking and silencing spell.

"Talk."

"Excuse me?" Draco asked incredulously.

"What's going on with you today?" Hermione asked furiously.

"I don't know what you're talking about and I don't think I owe you any explanations Granger," Draco said coldly.

"So it's back to Granger now, is it?" Hermione asked. She sighed. "Look, I'm sorry, ok? Yesterday just took me by surprise. Things just came at me too fast. I didn't even really know I cared about you in that way until that moment."

"Cut the bullshit Granger. Lying doesn't become you," Draco said as he walked towards to door.

Hermione grabbed his arm and forced him to look at her. They were standing close to each other now, their robes almost touching.

"I don't understand," Hermione said trying to look into his eyes but they were unreadable – he put up his walls. "I'm not lying. I truly didn't mean to hurt you and I'm sorry. I – "

"I can't believe you're still talking!" Draco was exasperated. "You had your fun ok? So quit wasting my time and just leave me alone!"

"No!" Hermione retorted. "I'm not leaving until we talk about this. Fun? I don't even understand what you're saying!"

"Diggory!" Draco shouted, causing Hermione to take a step back.

"What?" Hermione trembled.

"Yeah, that's right," Draco sneered at Hermione's frightened face. "I found you out. You said his name in your sleep. Did you have fun? What was it, a dare? Did the Gryffindor girls put you up to it? Or was it you and Potter, trying to bring me down a notch? All this time, you pretend to be interested in me when really, you were in love with Cedric Diggory. He may have been the Golden Boy everybody loved Granger, but newsflash – he's dead! Talk about unattainable."

Before yesterday, Draco's answer would have crushed Hermione. But she was sick of feeling weak.

"No, you don't understand – "

"I think I understand perfectly well," Draco said reaching for the door.

"I loved him!" Hermione declared. Draco stopped but he didn't turn around. "I still love him," Hermione said softly. "Cedric and I – " she sighed.

Draco turned around and faced her, his arms across his chest. She took it as a sign that he was listening.

"Cedric and I were involved. We became friends before fourth year even though no one knew about it. We remained friends throughout fourth year and eventually, we fell in love with each other along the way. We started seeing each other – "

"Wasn't Diggory going out with that Ravenclaw seeker?" Draco asked, breaking Hermione's faraway look.

"Yes." Hermione sighed. "We decided to keep the relationship a secret. With the immense pressure he was under for the TriWizard tournament, not to mention the other expectations that came with his reputation and status, as well as mine, we decided it would be easier if people believed we were merely acquaintances – schoolmates who barely talked to each other. He kept going out with Cho to keep up appearances and to please his father."

"You expect me to believe that _you_ had a secret relationship with Cedric Diggory, Mr. Popularity?"

"That's exactly my point. No one would've believed us. Can you imagine what people would say if the plain, lowly, mudblood landed the most sought after wizard in Hogwarts? They would think I _imperiused_ him or something."

"Well I don't know about '_Most_ sought after'."

Hermione gave a small smile. At least he didn't _completely_ hate her. "Then there was the whole Harry issue. I was Harry's best friend for Merlin's sake! Going out – even simply being friends – with Cedric would've been seen as Gryffindor betrayal and fraternizing with the enemy. Goodness knows Harry had enough trouble that year without doubting me too. Say what you will but Cedric and I loved each other." Hermione softly smiled. "We were going to tell everyone. We lived in so much fear of losing each other that year. Anything was better than that. So we planned to bite the bullet and tell everyone as soon as the tournament was over."

"That night…" Draco trailed off.

Hermione turned somber. "That night was the hardest night of my life. When Harry came back with Cedric, I felt so relieved, like the whole world was taken off my shoulders. But it was short-lived. One look at Harry's face and one look at Cedric's and I knew. I kept telling myself that he was just injured. Harry simply helped him back. But even before I reached them, I knew he was gone." Tears were falling down Hermione's face but her voice remained steady. Sad, but strong. Draco longed to wipe the tears off but he let her finish. She wasn't there. At that moment her mind was in the middle of a vast field with a formidable maze in front of her and a crowd of spectators behind her. "I didn't even get to hold him one last time. As soon as they apparated I rushed down the bleachers toward Harry. I thought that I could use the pretense of hugging Harry to get to Cedric as well. But I was too slow and everything happened so fast. One moment I could hear the band playing and the next all I could hear was Mr. Diggory's anguished cry, stopping me in my tracks. After that, Dumbledore and Mr. Diggory took over Cedric's body and Harry was whisked away by Crouch pretending to be Moody." She looked at Draco, her eyes pleading. "I should've done something. I should've come with them! I had Harry's cloak in my hand! I could've – "

Draco didn't think twice. He gathered her in his arms and held her close, his anger forgotten. "Shh," he soothed, rubbing soft circles on her back. He bent his head down and kissed her hair. "It wasn't your fault. There was nothing you could've done."

Hermione trembled against his chest. "I could've protected him. When Wormtail…"

Draco stopped, loosened his hold, and looked into her eyes. No one else knew what happened in the graveyard that night. He only heard vague details when his father talked about it. Granted, Potter knew and likely told Hermione but she spoke as if she saw it happen herself. Suddenly, Hermione's agonized scream that night in the manor came back to Draco. Draco gently wiped her tears and tilted her face up. "That night in the manor…Voldemort?"

Hermione nodded. "I've had nightmares about it since," she said quietly. "That's what keeps me up at night. I usually call out for him. That's probably what you heard last night."

"I'm sorry," Draco said. And he was. Not only for acting like a jerk but also for Hermione's loss. At the same time, he couldn't help but feel sorry for himself. He knew that Hermione was too good for him. She deserved someone like Cedric Diggory. Someone who could love her and protect her and not hurt her like he had. Last night, he felt defeated when he thought that Hermione had a crush on Diggory. Of course, she would be interested in someone like Cedric. But now, knowing that she actually loved him and he loved her back…Well, there's no way he can compete with that now. No wonder she was so averse to a relationship with him yesterday.

As if reading his mind, Hermione broke the silence. "Draco, yesterday –"

"It's okay, I understand."

"No, I don't think you do." Hermione sat on a desk in front of him so that she was on eye level. She reached for his hands and held them, forcing him to look at her. "When I lost Cedric, it was hard for me to move on. I thought my life ended with his and that even if I kept going, there would be no one else out there for me. I just had to live my life and bide my time until I could be with him again. I even tried to speed up the process that night in the tower." She gave a short laugh. "Pretty pathetic, huh?" Draco remained silent. Hermione continued. "There were times when I thought so too. Before he died, Cedric told me to keep going so I tried. I tried to move on. I tried a relationship with Ron because it seemed to make sense. It seemed inevitable. A relationship with him was safe, and as you said, predictable. Or at least, I thought so. We both know that didn't work out. But even when I was with him, there was something missing. I knew that my heart wasn't really in it, that I was just going through the motions. Looking back on it, I can't really blame him for wanting someone else."

"No, he was just a jerk."

Hermione smiled and continued, giving Draco's hands a squeeze. "And then I met you." Draco caught his breath. "Well, _met_ isn't exactly the right term," said Hermione with a short laugh. "I…I started to get to know you and things became so different. I started to feel…alive again. I never realized how dead I was inside until I started talking to you. It didn't happen in one specific moment but slowly, I started to wake up. You saved my life twice but you're also the one who brought me back to life." She paused. "Wow, I'm sounding really cheesy right now. I'm not usually like this," she said blushing. "And that's just it. I've never been this way before. I've never felt like this about anyone before. When I got my parents' letter, you were the first person I thought of. Not Cedric, not Harry – you. Leaving you was one of the hardest things I had to do. I knew then that you had become important to me. But I didn't know until yesterday…until that kiss, exactly how I felt about you. I meant what I said yesterday. I care about you, a lot. I know a relationship with you is not going to be easy, hell, it's downright scary but I don't want to be a coward anymore. Cedric would've wanted me to let go. _I_ want to let go. I don't know if this is the right choice or what's going to happen tomorrow but, if you're still up for it I'd certainly like to try."

Hermione looked down at his hands in hers, waiting for his response. Time passed agonizingly slow. What seemed like hours went by before Draco broke the silence.

"Hermione," he said, causing Hermione to look up. When their eyes met, Draco wasted no time in closing the distance between them, crushing his lips to hers in a searing kiss.

Kissing Draco was like nothing else in the world. Everything Hermione felt during their first kiss was amplified ten fold now that there was no hesitancy on either side. Kissing him was like having chocolate. It could potentially be bad for you but you eat it anyway and no matter how many times you have it, you know you could never get tired of it.

Now that she was his, Draco took his time giving her his answer. He still couldn't believe that she was in his arms right now. She had taken him on a roller coaster ride of emotions the past few weeks and now she was willing to try! The thought made Draco feel like he could fly without a broom. Despite her history, despite _their_ history, despite his inadequacies, she was willing to try! When he thought she left Hogwarts forever, it felt like a huge part of him was ripped away. Now, she was in his arms and she wanted to be with him. Draco knew in that moment that he would never willingly let her go and he would do everything in his power to make sure she didn't regret the chance she gave him.

A long time later, they both reluctantly broke for air.

"Was that a yes then?" Hermione whispered smiling.

"Yes," Draco replied with a huge grin. He pulled Hermione closer, letting her scent envelop him. "So, where do we go from here?"

"Well, I was thinking the Great Hall. I'm starving."

"Cheeky, are we?"

Hermione laughed. "Okay fine, I'll be serious," she said looking up at Draco and pulling a serious face. She laughed again. Draco didn't think he'd ever get tired of hearing her laugh. "Okay, seriously now," Hermione tried again. "As much as I'm willing to _try_, I don't think I'm ready to deal with the rest of the world just yet. Do you think we could keep this a secret until we come up with a game plan?"

"Do secret relationships turn you on or something?" Draco asked earning a swat from Hermione. "Ow, alright fine!" Draco protested but he was smiling. "Okay, seriously, I think that's a good idea. Besides, I'd like to keep you to myself for a little bit longer," he added kissing the top of Hermione's nose. "But you'll have to tell me what to do since you're the expert at secret liaisons." Hermione hit him again. "Ow, not the face! Anything but the face!"

"That's what you get," said Hermione laughing. "Are you done now? I really am starving."

"Note to self: Never come between Hermione and food," Draco said in a deadpan voice as he helped Hermione off the desk. At her glare, he put on his meek, innocent smile. He knew she wouldn't be able to resist – it worked well with his mother. Sure enough, Hermione smiled a moment later.

"I don't know what I've gotten myself into," Hermione sighed.

"You're definitely in for an adventure," Draco replied. "See you tonight?"

"You better hope they don't run out of food by the time I get to the Great Hall."

oOoOoOoOoOo

The next day Hermione woke to find Draco sleeping beside her, his arm around her waist. She smiled as a warm feeling spread through her. She could definitely get used to this.

As promised, she went to Sophie's suite as soon as everybody was asleep. She could've made an excuse to get there earlier but she wanted to give the siblings time alone to catch up with each other. Sophie was asleep when Hermione arrived but Draco was waiting for her in the living room, a fire warming the room. Hermione caught her breath as she watched the firelight dance across Draco's face. She still couldn't believe that someone like him wanted to be with her. A huge smile broke out on his face when he looked up and saw her. She hurriedly sat down beside him because she didn't think her legs could hold her anymore after that look. They didn't talk much that night. They were both exhausted by the past 2 days so after a short while, they fell asleep in each other's arms.

Draco was slowly opening his eyes. "Good morning," he murmured softly.

"Good morning," Hermione replied.

Draco looked at her concernedly. "Did you sleep ok?"

Hermione knew what he meant. "No dreams," she replied. She felt Draco relax beside her. She caressed his cheek. "Come to think of it, I don't get the dreams when I sleep with you."

"You should sleep with me all the time then," Draco said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Hermione pushed him. "Prat."

"But you love me anyway," Draco teased in a sing-song voice.

Hermione sighed as she got up. "I don't why I do," she said but she smiled. As she rose from the transfigured couch, Draco pulled her back down and gave her an intense kiss.

"That's why," he said when he pulled away.

"I suppose that might have something to do with it," Hermione conceded with a laugh as she made her way to the bathroom.

When she came out moments later, Draco had a mischievous grin on his face.

"So, it's Friday today."

"So?" Hermione asked, not liking the look on his face at all.

"Since we don't have school tomorrow…" he paused, enjoying the apprehension on her face. "How would you like to go on a date with me?"

* * *

A/N: Did you read the author's note above?


	26. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling nor do I own Harry Potter. See the first ten chapters.

**A/N: **Hello! Long time no see =) Hopefully you still remember this little story. I'd explain but it's just the usual, real life, blah blah blah. Anyway, thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I try to reply to reviews but I apologize to those that I missed because of the busy holiday season. Thanks for all your well-wishes and kind words. In response to last chapter's questions, it's pretty much 50/50 between people who want me to finish the story before posting up the next chapter and those who want me to post as I go along. I do **not** have the rest of the story finished but I thought I'd post this one anyway as a belated holiday gift for all of you. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up but I hope you stay with me. Here is chapter 25.

_

* * *

_

Last time:

"_So, it's Friday today."_

"_So?" Hermione asked, not liking the look on his face at all._

"_Since we don't have school tomorrow…" he paused, enjoying the apprehension on her face. "How would you like to go on a date with me?"_

**Chapter 25**

"Hermione!" Sophie greeted when Hermione stepped through the door of the suite.

"Hey Sophie," Hermione said as she walked in and gave the girl a hug.

"Wow, you look _really _pretty."

"Thanks Sophie. Is your brother here?"

"He – "

"I'm right here," Draco answered as he walked into the room. He met Hermione's eyes. "She's right you know," he added. "You look beautiful."

Hermione blushed. "Thanks," she answered with a shy smile.

"Are you ready to go?" Draco asked.

"Yes," Hermione answered.

Draco leaned down to pick Sophie up in his arms. "You have to promise to be a good girl tonight ok?" Sophie nodded. "I got Dobby to make you your favourite dinner and some ice cream for dessert. I'll come see you tomorrow. Uncle Sev will come by later to tuck you in," At that Sophie beamed. "You have to be good and go to bed when he says ok? I don't want to hear about you making deals with Uncle Sev to change your bedtime again." Hermione could tell Draco was trying not to smile. "Are we clear?" Sophie nodded, her face turning serious but Hermione could detect a mischievous twitch in the corner of her mouth. "Alright, that's my girl," Draco murmured, holding Sophie tightly in a hug.

"Love you Drake," Sophie said returning the hug.

"Love you too Izzy," Draco said, letting her go with a kiss on the forehead.

As soon as she was down, Sophie turned to Hermione and gave her a big hug. "Goodnight Hermione."

"Goodnight Sophie," Hermione answered, affectionately ruffling the girl's hair.

"Be good," Draco reminded as he held out a watch – the watch that Hermione remembered they used as a Portkey the first time she left the castle with the Malfoys.

"Where are we going?" Hermione asked as she placed her hands on the watch.

"It's a surprise," Draco replied and Hermione felt the familiar tug on her navel as Sophie's suite fell away.

oOoOoOoOoOo

When Hermione opened her eyes, she found herself standing in the middle of a dark alley. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she noticed that they were in a small side street in what looked like a medieval town. Made of stone, the walls that were around her were definitely not modern and she could detect the sweet smell of flowers in the air. As the street sloped down, Hermione noticed more lights in the distance.

"Where are we?" she asked, sensing Draco beside her.

"I'll tell you when we get there," Draco replied, taking her hand in his. "Follow me."

They walked down small, twisted streets between quaint, old-fashioned houses. Flowers seemed to hang everywhere which explained the scent. They made their way closer to the lights Hermione saw, which she now presumed was the center square of the village. Just before they reached the main part, Draco led her away into another side street where they found a restaurant.

The door to the restaurant was small, not unlike the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron. It would be easy to miss if you didn't know it was there. The door opened just as they neared it, bathing the street in light for a moment as a couple stepped out. Hermione noticed a small sign hanging by the door with the words 'Restaurant de Philippe'.

Draco followed her gaze and laughed. "He's not very original," he said as he opened the door.

Original or not, Hermione had to admire whoever Philippe was. The restaurant was warm and pleasant, with a homey, comfortable feeling that made Hermione want to sigh in contentment. The smells coming from the kitchen were indescribable and Hermione's mouth started to water. As she looked around, she noticed that it was quite busy for such an unassuming place.

"Ahh Monsieur Malfoy!" A plump man with an apron made his way over to them with a big smile on his face.

"Bon soir Philippe," Draco greeted.

"Comment ça va?" Philippe asked as they shook hands.

Hermione started to reach for her wand to cast a translation spell when she felt Draco squeeze her hand to stop her.

"Oh! Et qui est la jolie fille?" Philippe exclaimed as he spotted Hermione. "Bon soir Mademoiselle."

Hermione tried to recall what little French she learned in primary school. "Bon soir Monsieur," she answered.

"Philippe!" One of the waiters called out and waved the owner over.

"Un moment s'il vous plait," Philippe told Draco and Hermione as he walked toward the waiter.

While he was gone, Draco pulled Hermione closer to him. Hiding his wand between them, Draco leaned in close, and whispered "_Agnosco_" in Hermione's ear. Whether she shivered because of the spell or because of Draco's closeness she didn't know.

"It looks like you're busy tonight Philippe," Draco said when Philippe returned. Thanks to the translation spell, Hermione could hear Draco speak in French but she could understand it as well as if he spoke the words in English.

"Ahh, yes, business is going well. But not to worry, I'm never too busy for you my friend. Follow me, I have the perfect table for you."

They followed Phillipe through the restaurant where he led them to a table in a quiet corner. A window by the table looked out into a bright, lively boardwalk below that bordered a body of water. Philippe handed them their menus and then left them to attend to his other customers.

"I should've warned you," Draco said. "Philippe is muggle, that's why I stopped you. Actually, the whole town is muggle."

Hermione was intrigued that Draco took her to a muggle town. "So I gather we're in France, but where exactly are we?"

"We're in Yvoire." At Hermione's questioning gaze, Draco elaborated. "It's a small village in southeastern France. Out there," he said, pointing at the water. "Is Lake Geneva. As you may have guessed from the name, Switzerland is on the other side."

Hermione was about to ask why he brought her here when Philippe returned to their table.

"Have you decided?"

Draco looked at Hermione questioningly.

"I'm not sure what to get. Any recommendations?" she asked Draco in French with the help of the spell.

"Everything's amazing here," Draco said.

"Don't listen to him," Philippe protested with a laugh. "He is much too kind. I only try my best."

Hermione smiled.

"Well if I'm choosing, I guess you know what we'll have then Philippe," Draco said with a smile handing him back the menus.

"Lavaret with Tartiflette it is then," Philippe said before walking back to the kitchen.

"I'm guessing you come here a lot?" Hermione asked.

"Remember how my Mother raised Sophie in France?"

Hermione nodded.

"Well, that's here," Draco explained. "Our villa is actually outside the village but this is the closest town. During the summer, we come here almost every night. Yvoire is usually full of tourists because of the lake so it's nice that we found this place. Only the locals really know about it." He looked over at the kitchen. "Philippe has become a good family friend. He's pretty much watched Sophie grow up. I swear he has a small crush on my mother," Draco said laughing.

oOoOoOoOoOo

After they finished the most delicious meal Hermione's ever had, Philippe returned to take their plates.

"Would you like some dessert?" he asked.

Draco looked at Hermione.

"No thank you," Hermione replied. "I don't think I can eat one more bite!"

"Ah, I see my cooking was not to your liking?"

"Oh no, that's not it at all," Hermione said quickly. "The meal was wonderful. I'm simply full. Your cooking is amazing!" She paused as she noticed Draco laughing. "What?"

"I'm merely kidding my dear," Philippe said, laughing as well at Hermione's attempt to make him feel better. "The fact that you finished the dish is a compliment in itself. Too many girls nowadays refuse to eat real food. She's a keeper this one," he said to Draco.

"Don't I know it," Draco replied.

"Well, I've packed some Frolanche for the road anyway. I put some in there for your sister, too. I know how much she loves them," Philippe said. "How is my little Sophie anyway? My kitchen's awfully boring when she's not around to help out. How's the move to England treating her? Looking at you both, I shudder to think of what English food is doing for a growing girl like Sophie. You should visit more. All of you need some proper food to put some more meat on your bones."

Draco laughed. "I'll certainly keep that in mind. Sophie's doing well. She'll definitely love the Frolanche. Thank you. I'll tell her you said hello."

"Tell your mother I said hello to her too," Philippe said.

"I will."

"Thank you so much for a wonderful meal," Hermione said.

"It was my pleasure Mademoiselle."

After settling their bill, Draco and Hermione said their goodbyes and left the restaurant.

"Do you want to go home now or do you feel like walking some of dinner off?" Draco asked Hermione.

"Walking sounds good."

Draco led Hermione further down the hill where they eventually hit the brightly lit boardwalk by the lake. Draco put his arm around her and Hermione leaned in close as they walked down a long dock that stretched into the lake. When they reached the end, Hermione leaned against the railing, admiring the breathtaking view. Various boats were floating near the dock while in the distance the lights of a Swiss town nestled in the foot of mountains blinked brightly against the night sky.

"It's beautiful out here," Hermione breathed in awe.

"I wanted to take you somewhere nicer but we would be recognized in England and – "

Hermione cut him off with a deep kiss. "This is perfect."

Draco smiled and pulled her closer. After a few moments, he noticed she was deep in thought.

"What are you thinking of?" he whispered.

Hermione turned to him. "Draco, what happened to Pansy?" In the emotional storm of the past few days, Hermione had completely overlooked the fact that Draco was still dating Pansy. After his previous statement, Hermione started thinking about the places he usually took his dates and thought of the Slytherin girl.

"I actually broke up with her," Draco replied.

"Really? When?" Hermione was shocked that he hadn't mentioned it to her.

"While you were gone," Draco answered. "When you left I was seriously messed up. I tried to hide it but even Pansy noticed how much I was moping and confronted me about it. I was exhausted at that point and I was in no mood to try and make her feel better. So I told her that maybe it would better for us to break things off."

"She must've been really upset," Hermione said.

"Actually, she took it rather well. On some level she recognized that we were both just pretending. She knew that our relationship was simply based on familial expectations." Hermione raised her eyebrow in disbelief. "Pansy's actually not that bad." Hermione's eyebrow went even higher. Draco continued. "She's snobby and prejudiced and she can be downright bitchy sometimes but it's not because she's inherently evil. It's just because that's what she was taught her whole life. Unlike me with my mother, no one's ever shown her that blood and status quo doesn't matter. Deep down though, she's got a good heart. I grew up with her and I've been friends with her for years. If you watch her interact with those she sees as her 'equals', you'd see she's actually a good friend. Anyway, when I told her we should just be friends she agreed with me. She actually wants the chance to be with someone she loves but she was willing to stick it out with me because that's what her family wanted her to do." Draco turned pensive. "The sad thing was, if I hadn't broken things off, she would've stayed with me no matter how unhappy it made her." He sighed. "That's Pureblood family loyalty for you."

"I guess everyone _does_ have their issues," Hermione said, thinking of the girl she used to think was shallow and worried only about her hair.

"Anyway," Draco said cutting off her thoughts. "I don't want to talk about Pansy anymore. Let's talk about happier things."

"Like what?"

"Like this," Draco said as he tilted her face up and leaned down for a kiss.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Draco?"

They were making their way back down the boardwalk when a woman called Draco's name. She was in her mid-thirties or early forties, small but pretty with her brown hair pulled up in a bun. With her was a man of around the same age, tall and pleasant looking.

"Mme. Girard!" Draco exclaimed in recognition. "M. Girard," he said, turning to the man.

"I told you it was him!" Mme. Girard said, turning to her husband. She then proceeded to give Draco a hug. "How have you been my dear? What are you doing here this time of year?"

"Surely, you haven't been kicked out of school?" M. Girard asked laughing.

"There were a few close calls, but sadly, I'm still in school," Draco replied with a smile.

"Oh, and who is this lovely young lady?" Mme. Girard asked after noticing Hermione. "It looks like we've interrupted you're evening," she told Draco with a wink.

"This is Hermione Granger," Draco introduced her. "Hermione, this is Mme and M. Girard."

"Aline please," Mme. Girard said, extending her hand warmly to Hermione. "And this is my husband Sebastien. We're Draco's neighbours." After Sebastien shook hands with Hermione, his wife continued. "I'm sorry for interrupting your night. We just haven't seen Draco in so long and since his mother and Sophie moved, we've kind of missed them."

"That's alright," Hermione replied. "We were on our way back anyway."

"How long are you here for? Are you staying in the villa dear?" Aline asked Draco.

Hermione realized that the couple must be muggle too since they didn't consider the thought of apparition.

"Yes," Draco replied.

"Well, we're on our way back as well. We could give you a ride," Sebastien offered.

Draco looked at Hermione. "Actually we were just going to take a taxi – "

"Nonsense," Aline protested. "We can drive you home. And you must come over for some coffee so we can catch up and also get to know Hermione better. That is," she turned to Hermione. "If you don't mind."

Hermione looked at Draco who shrugged. "Not at all," Hermione answered with a smile. She had taken an instant liking to the friendly couple and Draco seemed so at home with them she wanted to give them time to catch up.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Hermione opened her eyes to find herself in a strange room. After a few moments, she became aware of Draco's breathing beside her and felt his arm around her. The memories of last night came flooding back to her and she let a smile spread across her face. Feeling the need to stretch, Hermione carefully moved Draco's arm so she could sit up, using part of the sheets to keep her covered. As her eyes adjusted to the sunlight coming through, she took in the details of room, as well as the mess, before her eyes landed on the sleeping figure of the man who helped her make said mess.

After being dropped off by the Girards, Draco suggested that he give her a tour of the villa before returning to Hogwarts since they were there anyway. Letting her curiosity get the better of her, Hermione agreed. Luckily, Draco's bedroom was the last stop of the tour because the beautiful house was forgotten after that. Hermione inwardly laughed. She wouldn't have been surprised if Draco had planned it that way.

Hermione smiled softly as she watched him sleep. She had never seen him look this peaceful and the sight made her catch her breath. He rarely let his guard down for anyone and she felt privileged anytime he did it around her. He looked like a completely different person at times like this. Like this Draco was made just for her. _Her_ Draco. The thought made heart race. She still couldn't believe that he –

"I know I'm ridiculously good-looking but could you please go back to bed?" Draco murmured, still with his eyes closed.

Hermione shook her head. She turned to lean over him. "I'm sorry to say this but it's time to get up," she whispered in his ear.

"No," Draco answered, still with his eyes closed.

"Get up," Hermione said softly, kissing his forehead.

Draco shook his head.

She kissed his closed eyelid. "Up."

He refused to move.

"No?" she asked, kissing his other eye.

"No."

"Alright then, I'm just gonna have to try harder," Hermione whispered, her lips moving down over his nose, toward his lips. "Draco," Hermione breathed, her lips ghosting over his.

Draco made his move but Hermione pulled away at the last second, leaving him no choice but to follow and sit up so he could capture her lips with his.

"You don't fight fair," he said with a pout when they broke for air.

"I learned from the best," Hermione replied with a smirk.

Draco smiled as he took in her tousled hair, flushed cheeks, and the thin sheet that barely covered her form. With the sunlight illuminating her from behind, he had never seen anything more beautiful. She looked like a breathtaking angel. _His_ angel.

"What are you looking at?" Hermione asked.

"You're beautiful," he breathed.

With a smile of her own, she pulled him closer to her once more.

"Nice try," she said after a few moments. "I wish we could stay here forever but we really do need to go. No one knows where I am and I have to get back before people start to wake up." Hermione got off the bed and made her way to the bathroom.

Draco dropped his head back onto the pillows with a sigh. "Why does she have to be so logical?"

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Where have you been?"

_Damn._

Hermione quietly entered the Gryffindor common room, only to find Harry already waiting for her.

"I barely saw you after dinner last night and then Ginny wakes up to find your bed empty."

"I was at the lib –"

"Don't tell me you were at the library all night Hermione, you're way too dressed up for it," Harry interrupted. "Do you think I'm stupid?"

"No Harry, but –"

"This is not the first time it's happened," Harry continued, interrupting Hermione once more. "What the hell is going on?"

Hermione had enough. She just had one of the best nights of her life and she wasn't going to let Harry ruin it. "Merlin, Harry! I didn't know I had to report every move I made to you! Who made you the boss of my life? And Ginny, I never thought – "

"Don't take this out on her, she was just trying to help!" Harry retorted.

"Well, if ambushing me and interrogating me is your idea of help, I don't want it."

"I'm sorry for caring, Hermione," Harry said scathingly. "But I'm your best friend. I know you've been through a lot this year but that's no reason to alienate us –"

"You alienated me first!" A moment too late, Hermione realized her mistake.

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked, breaking the silence.

"Nothing," Hermione answered. "I appreciate your concern but it's early and it's Saturday and I'm quite tired so I'm just going to head up to my room – "

"No," Harry declared. "We're going to talk about this now. I'm tired of whatever this is between us. This ends now. So, what exactly are you not saying?"

"Genevieve."

Harry waited. "I'm going to need more than a name Hermione."

"Fine! You want to hear it all? Here it is! Ever since she came into this school, it's been nothing but Genevieve this and Genevieve that. I'm used to being ignored by everyone else but I never thought my _best friends_ would do the same to me. But you did. You joined her little fan club the moment she walked in. But that I could've handled, if only it stopped there."

"What are you – "

"I had to be attacked by a fucking troll before you and Ron would even consider becoming friends with me! All Genevieve had to do was swish her hair and bam! She was part of the inner circle. Suddenly, she knew all about Voldemort and horcruxes and the Order. Suddenly she was spending Christmas with you and helping you save the world – all without me."

"But you were busy all the time and –"

"No, Harry. We both know that's a pathetic excuse. I've been busy before and you've always found time, always made sure I was part of things. Remember third year? I needed a time turner for Merlin's sake! Still, I was with you the whole time. But that's just it, isn't it? This whole problem started way before Genevieve. You and Ron have always had this little club and no matter how hard I tried, I could never get in. There were times when I felt like nothing more than an encyclopedia you carried around. A resource you kept in your pocket, something you made sure was with you at all times in case you needed help with homework, with Voldemort, with life. Over the years you've grown attached to it, so much so that you feel like you'd be lost without it but at the end of the day, it's still nothing more than a book. And then when Genevieve came, well, I guess you didn't need me anymore, did you?"

"That's not true – "

"Really Harry? Tell me, when was the last time we had a conversation that didn't revolve around you? When was the last time we had a real conversation, period? When did _you_ ever help _me_ with something?"

"That's not fair! You – "

"Harry – "

"Shut up and let me speak!" Harry's outburst stunned Hermione into silence. Harry took a deep breath before continuing. "You had your say, now let me have mine." He paused. "You are being completely unfair. I honestly _do_ care about you. I don't know what you're issue is but I _never_, for a moment thought that you were anything less than my sister. You're my best friend for Godric's sake! I'm sorry that I made you feel otherwise and I'm sorry I let Genevieve come between us but don't ever accuse me of not caring. You don't think I _want_ to help you? You've always been there for me. You don't think I _want_ to be there for you? Hermione, I'd do _anything_ in the world for you. But you put yourself on this pedestal and it's like no one can touch you. You're always the strong one and you make everyone believe that everything is fine. You built this fortress around you and you won't let anyone in. Believe me, I've tried. Yeah, I've been self-absorbed more times than I can count but there were times when I saw that something was clearly bothering you no matter how hard you tried to hide it. Especially this year. But every time I ask you about things, you shut me down. You evade my questions and try to placate me instead. I know you better than you think and what I don't understand is why you can't let me in. So don't accuse me of not caring about you. Relationships work both ways. I can't listen to you if you won't talk to me. I can't help you if you won't let me."

Hermione was speechless. Harry had a point. In all her angst-ridden musings she never once considered her own role in the demise of her friendships. Over the years, she knew she had to be strong for Harry but she never thought that she was shutting him out in the process. Wearily, Hermione sat down and put her head in her hands. All this thinking was giving her a headache.

"So I'm going to try one more time."

Hermione looked up to find Harry sitting across from her holding her gaze.

"Where were you this morning?"


	27. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling nor do I own Harry Potter. See the first ten chapters.

**A/N:** So this is a super quick update compared to the ones I usually do. Be forewarned though – this would likely be the last for quite a while since I completely wasted a whole day of studying to finish this chapter. =P

Just like how you couldn't wait to read what happens next, this chapter was literally clawing its way out of me. Case in point: it is now 4:00 am in the middle of the week and I'm still up writing this. I just could not sleep without finishing this 6,000 word beast. I hope it's long enough to tide you over.

Like I said, I'm not sure when I'll be able to update after this (I know I said that in the previous chapter, but I mean it more this time lol). It could be in 2 weeks, it could be in 2 months. Who knows. I'm just warning you so you can savor and appreciate the last one you may get in a while. For those of you who would rather that I update once I have everything done instead of having long lag times in between, my advice is not to read this chapter until I've posted a couple more after. Now that I said that – please do not scroll to the end or you'll ruin the experience =)

Anyway, that's enough now. Here is Chapter 26, I hope you enjoy it and for the sake of my insomnia, please tell me what you thought of it. Thanks for reading!

_

* * *

_

Last time:

"_So I'm going to try one more time."_

_Hermione looked up to find Harry sitting across from her holding her gaze._

"_Where were you this morning?"_

**Chapter 26**

Hermione looked into Harry's eyes, seeing nothing but concern. She didn't know what to do. She was tired of lying to him and he was right. She should give him a chance. Given everything that just happened she wanted to give in, to tell him everything. He had a right to know didn't he?

Hermione took a deep breath. "Harry, I – "

"Hermione!" Ginny exclaimed as she walked walked into the Common Room to find two people there. "We were so worried about you," Ginny said as she gave Hermione a hug. "Merlin Hermione!" she exclaimed as she pulled away and noticed Hermione's clothes. "Where have you been hiding that cute butt all this time?!" Hermione looked at her blankly. "And that top! It's absolutely gorgeous on you – why don't you ever wear it?"

"Ginny," Harry said wearily.

"I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?"

"Yeah," Harry replied. "Hermione was just about to tell us where she was this morning."

But Ginny's interruption had broken the spell. It had given Hermione a much needed wake-up call. Despite everything between them, there's no way Hermione can tell Harry the truth about Draco – a lot of it wasn't even her story to tell. But she was sick of lying to Harry. So she decided to give him the truth – just not the one he was looking for.

The Common Room became busier as people started to head down for breakfast.

"Can we talk somewhere else?" Hermione asked.

"Sure," Harry replied.

They made their way to an abandoned classroom which Harry proceeded to secure with locking and silencing spells. They sat down on the desks. Harry and Ginny looked at Hermione expectantly.

"I…" Hermione hesitated. "You have to promise not to interrupt me until I've finished the whole story."

"We promise," said Harry.

"I was visiting Cedric's memorial," Hermione stated.

"Why – "

"Because I was in love with him," Hermione interrupted.

Ignoring their shocked faces, she took a deep breath and proceeded to tell them about her past relationship with Cedric.

"Why didn't you tell me any of this before?" Harry asked when Hermione finished her story.

"Did you not listen to a word I said? Everyone – "

"_I'm_ not everyone," Harry insisted. "I'm your best friend and aside from all that, do you really think I would've cared? That I would've thought that you were '_fraternizing with the enemy_' as you so eloquently pointed out? I trust you Hermione, I know you would never betray me like that." Hermione inwardly cringed at Harry's last statement. "Besides, Cedric was a good guy. I can see you guys being good together. You can't help who you fall in love with and the situation was hardly anyone's fault. I thought you had more trust in me than that."

"I know Harry. I'm sorry." And she was. A part of her felt guilty about lying to them again but another part of her was happy that they now knew about Cedric. Telling Draco was one thing, but finally telling Harry after all these years felt like a huge weight off her shoulders. It felt like the final step in fully letting go of that part of her past.

"I'm sorry you had to go through all that alone," Harry said, as he and Ginny gave Hermione a hug.

"It's all in the past now," Hermione replied.

Suddenly, Harry's stomach grumbled breaking the somber mood. The girls laughed.

"I think we should get to the Great Hall before they stop serving breakfast," Hermione said with a laugh, looking at her watch.

When Harry made his way out the door, Ginny pulled Hermione back.

"I'm sorry about what happened with you and Cedric but – " Ginny hesitated. Hermione looked at her questioningly. "Don't take this the wrong way but you sure are dressed nicely for walking across Hogwarts grounds. I mean, maybe, you wanted to dress up for him and – "

Hermione could tell that something was plaguing Ginny's mind and that she didn't fully believe her. She had to stop her before she got closer to the truth.

"Oh," Hermione said, trying to dismiss her fears with a laugh. "I got up really early and you know how dazed I am in the morning. I just grabbed whatever was in my trunk without realizing what it was." She grinned sheepishly. "Come on, Harry will be wondering where we went."

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Draco!"

Draco had barely turned around when Hermione launched herself into his arms and kissed him deeply on the lips.

"Well, hello to you too," Draco said when they finally broke apart.

"Eww kissing," Sophie said at the same time.

Hermione laughed. "Hi Sophie," she greeted, reaching out from Draco's arms to give her a hug.

"Drake, can I go watch a movie?" Sophie asked after Hermione let her go.

"Sure Izzy, but only half. Then you have to go to bed."

"Ok," Sophie said running off into her room.

"Though I certainly wouldn't mind more of those, I take it there's a reason for the excited entrance?" Draco asked pulling Hermione over to the couch.

A few weeks had passed since their first date and since then, Draco and Hermione found themselves spending as much time as they could together in Sophie's suite. Any time they could get away, they would go to the villa in France and spend some time there. Draco had offered to take Hermione to other places but she declined. She knew how difficult it was for him to arrange portkeys and find suitable locations where they wouldn't be recognized. Because of the need for secrecy, every detail had to be planned out and with the increasing workload at school they just didn't have time to do all that. Besides, it's not like Hermione hated going to the villa. On the contrary, she always looked forward to their next visit and she never wanted to leave. The villa itself was gorgeous but the view was absolutely breathtaking. Nestled in the Alps on the French/Swiss border, the villa afforded a view that never failed to leave Hermione in awe. It reminded her of the Sound of Music, with snow-capped mountains, rolling green valleys and wildflowers dotting the landscape. Hermione didn't mind the view _inside_ and the things they did there either.

As soon as she and Draco sat down, Hermione stood up again, unable to keep still.

"I got in!" Hermione squealed excitedly, waving a piece of parchment in front of Draco.

"That's amazing! Congratulations!" Draco said, a huge smile breaking out over his face as he stood up to give Hermione another kiss.

Much to Genevieve's chagrin, a few days after Hermione's first date with Draco, Hermione received a letter from the Department of Foreign and External Affairs telling her that the situation had been sorted out and inviting her to an interview for the internship. Though she was extremely nervous, the interview must have gone well as Hermione received her letter of acceptance this morning during breakfast in the Great Hall.

_Hermione was just about to leave the Great Hall when owls swooped in carrying the morning mail. Not expecting anything for herself, Hermione was surprised when one of the owls landed in front of her. After untying the letter, Hermione was stunned to find the Ministry seal on the back._

"_This is it," she thought. She sat down in an effort to calm herself and with shaking hands she broke the seal._

Dear Ms. H. Granger,

It is our pleasure to inform you –

_Hermione clutched the letter to her chest, screaming excitedly on the inside. There was no way this was happening! She quickly read the rest of the letter just to make sure. _

….internship…Department of Foreign and External Affairs…starting this summer…living in our residences…London…continuing after you graduate…

_Hermione read the letter over and over and over again, her smile growing wider with each word. Finally satisfied with the reality of the letter's contents, Hermione looked up only to find Genevieve watching her with narrowed eyes, clutching a similar looking piece of parchment. In a manner that would've made Draco proud, Hermione smirked in Genevieve's direction, causing the latter to huff and turn her head away with an angry swish of her hair._

_Hermione couldn't wait to tell Draco the news so she started to stand up when she heard Genevieve's voice._

"_So Harry," Genevieve was saying, shooting Hermione an impetuous look. "I was thinking – how would you and Ginny like to go on a double _date_ with me and Ron this weekend?" Genevieve emphasized the word 'date' making it clear that Hermione was not invited. Hermione scoffed inwardly. If Genevieve only knew how much she really couldn't care less._

"_Actually, there's a muggle movie Hermione and I have been dying to see for ages," Harry said, surprising Hermione. She didn't know what movie he was talking about but hey, who was she to argue? "And," Harry continued. "Ginny wants Hermione to help her pick out a dress for the Leaving Ball so we'll be doing that too." Harry looked at Hermione for confirmation._

"_Yeah," Hermione confirmed. She smiled sweetly at Genevieve. "We would've invited you but we know you guys aren't that interested in _muggle_ things. You'd probably just be bored."_

"_And I know you have all your dresses custom-made by designers," Ginny added, hiding a smile. She never liked Genevieve anyway so she was all for this plan. "So I thought you would hate looking around the _common_ shops with me."_

_The three then stood up and made their way to class leaving Ron and Genevieve gaping after them._

"_So, what movie are we watching?" Hermione asked teasingly once they were out of the Great Hall._

_Harry grinned back. It's not that he hated Genevieve but he took what Hermione said to heart and he thought this was a good opportunity to spend some time with her without Genevieve between them. Besides, he really didn't like the way the other girl was clearly excluding Hermione with her plan. "I have no idea." _

"I wish I could've seen her face," Draco said once Hermione finished her story.

"It was priceless. I wish Colin Creevey was there to take a picture," Hermione laughed. She stopped, remembering something. "I know we were planning to go to the villa on Saturday – "

"Don't worry about it," Draco reassured her. "As much as it pains me to admit it, I know I'm not the only important person in your life." He pulled her close.

"Hmm," Hermione murmured against his chest. "You're definitely in the top ten though."

"Top _Ten_? That's it?" Draco asked. He pulled Hermione's face up to kiss her.

"Well, maybe top five," Hermione conceded when they broke apart.

"You wound me," Draco said with a pout.

"Well, how about I make it up to you?" Hermione whispered, brushing her lips softly against his.

"Yeah?" Draco murmured in response. "How are you going to do that?"

"I hear now's a good time to visit France."

"Sophie!" Draco called, reaching for the watch on the fireplace. "Have Dobby come help you get ready for bed ok? If you have any problems, tell him to call Uncle Sev. I'll see you tomorrow! Good night!"

oOoOoOoOoOo

Hermione walked down the hallway with a smile on her face. Yesterday had definitely been a good day. She had almost forgotten how much fun Harry and Ginny could be. They spent the whole day in Muggle London seeing the sights, going to the shops and markets, hanging out in Hyde Park – all without mentioning or thinking about Voldemort, the war, and the rest of the wizarding world once. To the casual observer, they looked like three normal teenagers out to have some fun on a Saturday. Hermione thought that the break did Harry some good too. He seemed considerably lighter than she had seen him in ages. Ginny, herself had a ball at seeing so many things she had never seen before. When Ginny and Harry weren't looking, Hermione bought a shirt that had the iconic "Underground" symbol of London's subway system for Draco. She thought it could work as a statement for the Slytherin dungeons but more importantly, she just wanted to see if he would go into anaphylactic shock if Merlin forbid, cheap cotton touched his skin.

She had gotten back late and she and Draco had agreed not to see each other until the next day to minimize the risk of arousing suspicion. Luckily, Ginny wanted to go back the next day and see more of the sights they missed so Hermione suggested that she and Harry make it a date, leaving Hermione free to meet Draco.

Hermione smiled when she opened the door to Sophie's suite.

"Hey, I –" The next thing she was about to say was cut off when she noticed Draco on the couch with his head in his hands. She walked over and knelt beside him. "Hey, what's wrong?" she asked softly.

Upon hearing her voice, Draco immediately put his arms around her, enveloping her in a hug. Hermione held him silently for a few moments, their breaths the only sound in the room. She grew worried.

"Draco, you're scaring me," Hermione whispered.

Draco slowly pulled away, allowing Hermione to sit beside him. "I'm sorry," he said, turning towards her.

When their eyes met, Hermione's heart felt like breaking. His eyes that were normally vibrant and fiery when he looked at her, were now melancholy and almost empty. His already pale skin looked whiter, almost as if he's seen a ghost, or even, death itself.

Hermione reached out to gently cup his face in her hands. He closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. "What happened?" Hermione asked. "Where's Sophie? Is she ok?"

Draco opened his eyes and turned his face to kiss her hand.

"She's ok. Snape is coming in a minute to look after her," he replied, removing her hand from his face and holding it with his hand. "Can we go somewhere to talk?"

"Sure," she replied standing up with him. She was surprised when he led her over to a window where his broom was waiting.

"I'm sorry. I know you hate flying and we could go to the villa but I just need to – "

Hermione pulled his face down and kissed him with all she had. "Whatever you need," she whispered. She walked over to the broom and mounted it.

Draco stared after her. "You're amazing you know that?" he said as he climbed on behind her.

Despite her willingness to get on a broom for Draco, she still didn't like to fly so as always, Hermione turned around and buried her face in his chest and held him tight as they flew out into the sky. Draco didn't mind at all.

The ride was silent leaving Hermione time to think. She didn't know what could've happened to cause such a change in Draco. The fact that she could feel him shaking in her arms did not help to ease her worry. Finally, she felt them start to descend until her feet touched solid ground. When she looked up, she recognized the place by the river where they had their first kiss. His secret spot. Wordlessly, Draco made his way over to the flat boulder they usually sat on. Hermione had no choice but to follow him.

They sat in silence for a while just watching the river go by. Though she was worried, Hermione didn't want to press him. She knew he would tell her when he was ready.

"My father visited me yesterday," Draco said, breaking the silence. Hermione turned to him. "He came for a Board of Governors meeting then he took me to lunch. He told me he asked Dumbledore to let me come home for a couple of days." He looked at Hermione. "He wants me to get the Dark Mark. I'm coming home for my initiation."

Hermione gasped. "When?"

"Tomorrow."

Hermione remained silent. She was shocked. She knew that he might be asked to become a DeathEater one day but she didn't think it would be so soon. She held on to the hope that the war would be over before that had to happen or that they would at least find some way out of it.

"Listen, I completely understand if you don't want – "

"Don't even think about finishing that sentence," Hermione interrupted fiercely. She held his face and locked her eyes with his. "I am NOT going to leave you, understand?"

Draco closed the distance between them and kissed Hermione fervently. He tried to put all the words he wanted to say into that kiss – how much he needed her, how grateful he was to have her, how terrified he was about the future, how much he hated his father for putting him in this position, and _how much he_ _loved her_.

They broke apart breathing heavily. Draco kept his arms around her as she leaned her head against his shoulder. A few moments later Hermione spoke.

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know," Draco sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "I don't really have much choice."

Hermione looked up. "You always have a choice. You could go to Dumbledore."

Draco looked at her sadly. "Not if I want to keep Sophie and my mother safe," he said, reaching to tuck Hermione's hair behind her ear. "I talked to Snape about it yesterday. There's not much I can do other than bide my time and do what I need to do in the meantime."

"How long will you be gone?" Hermione asked.

"Two, maybe three, days. Initiation is a big ceremony. Then I'll need a day or two to…recover…" They both looked down at his unmarked left arm. "Apparently everyone has to stay for the first couple of days," Draco continued softly. "It's so that they will not gain suspicion when their left arm is non-functional because of the…pain." Hermione took his left hand in hers and caressed his arm before entwining their fingers together, marveling at how well they fit.

"I wish I could do something. I wish I could be there to help you."

"No." Draco said sharply. "I don't want you anywhere near that sick bastard."

Whether he was talking about Voldemort or his father, Hermione wasn't sure.

oOoOoOoOoOo

The next three days were absolutely agonizing for Hermione. She tried to keep up appearances for Harry and Ginny and she tried to keep a brave face for Sophie but inside she was a mess. Draco was in her thoughts every minute and she flinched every time someone entered the room, dreading bad news. It didn't help that she didn't hear from him nor could she contact him herself. She just had to trust that Narcissa would somehow let them know if something terrible had happened. For his part, Snape seemed to understand what she was going through. He seemed distracted in Potions classes and she could see her worry mirrored in his eyes every time they met.

On the third night, she was just getting ready to transfigure the couch after putting Sophie to bed when Draco walked into the suite. She immediately went over to him and put her arms around him. She was a little alarmed when he only halfheartedly returned the hug, but she chalked it up to stress.

"How are you feeling?" she asked pulling him onto the couch. She looked at his face and was disturbed by his eyes. She saw such profound sadness and desperation but what distressed her the most was that she only saw it for a fleeting moment. He quickly put his walls up and his eyes turned hard and cold. She hadn't seen him shut her out like that in a long time. She tried to maintain her courage and calm. "You must be exhausted. Do you want some tea?" She started to walk towards the kitchen when he pulled on her arm to stop her.

She looked down at his arm questioningly and that's when she saw it. The Dark Mark. It was the most hideous thing she had ever seen. It was dark and black, not unlike a tattoo, of a skull with a snake protruding out of its mouth. Hermione had a flashback of the horrible incident at the Quidditch World Cup. What made it more horrifying was that it looked like it had been burned onto Draco's arm, like branding on cattle. Hermione resisted the urge to turn away from it.

Draco watched her as she stared at the Mark. He hated it with his whole being. He hated that someone as pure as her had to see something so horrifying. He hated that it had to be him. Seeing her disgust at his arm hurt more than getting the Mark itself. She was definitely going to hate him now. Well, that's what he wanted wasn't it?

"_Draco Malfoy," Voldemort's snake-like voice hissed. "Step forward."_

_Draco slowly made his way to the centre of the circle where Voldemort waited on a high-backed chair._

"_Look Narcissa," he heard his Aunt Bellatrix cackle. "Look at the honour being bestowed upon him. Be proud."_

_Draco resisted the urge to turn toward his aunt's voice and look for his mother in the crowd of hooded DeathEaters. Even if he knew where she was, he couldn't bear to look at her and he sure as hell hoped that she wasn't watching him either. His mother had gone through enough._

"_Kneel," Voldemort commanded. Draco obeyed. "Do you pledge allegiance to the cause and swear loyalty to me and me alone?"_

_Hermione's face flashed in Draco's mind. "Yes, my lord."_

"_Are you ready and willing to give your life up for the cause?"_

_Hermione laughing. "Yes, my lord."_

"_Are you willing to surrender everything and anything to follow my commands without question?"_

_Hermione breathless after they kiss. "Yes, my lord."_

"_Do you swear to put me and my welfare above all else, including your own life?"_

_Hermione sleeping in his arms. "Yes, my lord."_

"_Draco," Voldemort said, forcing the young man to look up and meet his eyes. Draco focused on the room and nothing else, blocking his mind as Snape taught him to do. "Very well," Voldemort said after a few moments, seemingly satisfied with his search. "Take this Mark with pride."_

_Draco felt his left arm start to rise without his control. When it was fully extended toward him, Voldemort placed his wand on Draco's arm and intense searing pain shot up his arm. It was as if a burning torch was placed on top of his skin and was held there, burning through his flesh. Draco watched horrified as the Dark Mark slowly formed between his elbow and wrist. He fought the urge to scream as the pain intensified and every bad memory he had ever had passed through his brain._

"_Welcome loyal servant," Voldemort declared when the Mark was completed and removed his wand. The pain subsided to a horrible throbbing ache, as if the Mark lived and pulsed beneath his skin. Draco found that he could not move his arm._

"_Welcome loyal servant," the rest of the crowd chorused._

"_Leave us," Voldemort ordered and the crowd left the room, leaving Draco, Voldemort, and Lucius._

"_I admire your strength young Malfoy," Voldemort commended. "I see such potential in you. Thus, I am giving you a very important task."_

"_You are in contact with Potter's Mudblood are you not?" Lucius asked._

_Icy fear gripped Draco's heart but he kept his mask on. "There are many mudbloods at school Father and they all grovel at Potter's feet. I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific."_

"_Don't be stupid boy!" Lucius exclaimed, raising his cane to strike._

"_Lucius," Voldemort hissed, stopping Lucius mid swing. "The boy has just gone through intense initiation, obviously he is a bit…perturbed." He turned to Draco. "I will be as specific as you wish. The mudblood we speak of is that Granger girl – the one who's always with Potter, who seems to be quite…attached and…valuable to him." He looked at Lucius with a sneer. "The one who got away."_

_Lucius flinched. "Yes, well, that one," Lucius said to Draco. "She is a prefect as well is she not?"_

"_Yes Father."_

"_And so you work with her, do rounds and such?"_

"_Hardly," Draco answered. "Dumbledore doesn't let us within ten feet of each other. Seems to think I'm dangerous to her or something." He scoffed._

"_Well, nevertheless, you've had to be civil to her."_

"_Of course! I couldn't very well insult her in front of the old coot – "_

"_Well, then you already have some of her trust."_

_Draco laughed. "The mudblood doesn't trust me within an inch of her life!"_

"_Well, that's your problem to solve. Being a prefect puts you in the perfect position. You can easily arrange some sort of meeting with her. Prefect business of some kind. Use your charm, lie to her, I don't care. Make her trust you."_

"_The task is very simple Draco," Voldemort added after Lucius. "Deliver Granger to us."_

"_And?" Draco asked._

"_And we'll do the rest." Voldemort smiled. "Potter will no doubt rush headlong to save her, yada yada yada and we'll kill him then. Rest assured, she will not escape this time."_

"_Like I said, Granger would rather eat a blast-ended skrewt than go anywhere with me. What if I fail?"_

"_Simple," Voldemort said in a flat voice that sent chills down Draco's spine. "Fail, and you'll be begging me to take your life."_

_Draco stood rooted to the spot, not knowing what to do._

"_That is all," Voldemort said turning away from him in dismissal. _

_Draco willed his feet to slow down as he walked away from the Dark lord._

"_Thank your mother for a wonderful dinner for me," Voldemort called out as Draco neared the door. "How is Narcissa doing?" he heard Voldemort ask Lucius before the door shut tightly behind him._

_For the rest of his stay, Draco thought about nothing but Hermione and his task. At night he would have horrible nightmares about it, always ending with Hermione's violent death. On his last night, he dreamt of his last stay at the Manor, with the muggleborn girl who was violated – the girl whom he murdered. Except this time, the girl was Hermione._

He felt rather than saw Hermione sit back down beside him. She gently grabbed his face and turned it towards her. He closed his eyes to resist the urge to pull her closer. This had to stop. He knew that he would be watched outside of these walls and he had to make her hate him. They can't go on like this. One wrong move, one look, could ruin everything. For her sake, she had to truly despise him. Only then will they see that there's no way he could complete his task. He didn't have much of a plan beyond that but he hoped that they would move on to someone different, and she would be safe for one more day.

He felt her lips touch his softly and he had to give all he had to stop himself from responding. He kept his eyes closed and her lips left his. He was surprised to feel her lips on his wrist – his left wrist – right at the pulse point.

Draco opened his eyes. Hermione met his eyes for a brief moment before turning her attention back on the Dark Mark. She slowly moved her hand and tentatively touched the Mark. Draco clenched his fist.

"Hermione," he said, causing Hermione to still and look up. "We should stop this."

Hermione shook her head. "Dra – "

"No," Draco said, wrenching his arm from hers and standing up. "It was fun while it lasted but we both know this isn't going to go anywhere."

"Look, if this is about what happened – "

"Yeah, that played a part but there's a bigger picture here," Draco insisted agitatedly. "I'm bad news for you Hermione!" He lifted up his arm to her face. "You see this?! This shows you what a horrible person I am! I _work_ for him! Aren't you disgusted?! You deserve better than this, better than me!"

"I love you!"

Draco looked at her in shock. "Don't…don't say that."

Hermione had covered her mouth with her hand but she stood up with a fierce look in her eyes as she grabbed his arm. "I. Love. You. There, I said it." She stepped closer to him. "This," she continued, holding up his marked arm. "This isn't you. I know who you are right here." She pointed to his chest.

"You don't know everything," he said, turning away from her.

"I know you – "

"I'm a murderer!" Draco yelled at her face. Hermione flinched and backed away. "That's right, I'm a murderer. Bet you didn't know _that_, huh?"

Hermione shook her head. "I don't…You couldn't…there must be an explanation – "

"She was 15!" Draco yelled. "She was 15 and I killed her…I killed her," he said more quietly as he collapsed on the couch with his head in his hands. "And her parents…her pa – " Draco stopped as gut wrenching sobs wracked his body. The strain of the past three days finally took a toll on him and when Hermione pulled him closer to her, the whole story of that horrible night in the Manor came spilling out.

"I didn't know what else to do," Draco said quietly some time after he finished his story. "I killed her – murdered her with my own wand." He turned to Hermione, pleading with his eyes. "I could've done something, I could've saved her, helped her escape…"

"Sshh," Hermione soothed, her own tears streaming down her cheeks. What kind of monster would force people to do such horrible things? What kind of father would put his son in that position?

"You shouldn't be with me," Draco whispered. "You deserve so much better."

Hermione caressed his face, wiping the tears from eyes. She held his gaze. "This was not your fault. You had no choice. You did what you thought was best at the time." Draco shook his head. Hermione held his face tighter, keeping his eyes locked with hers. "You are incredibly brave. That girl…that girl is at peace because of you. You are an amazing person Draco Malfoy, and I love you."

Hermione captured his lips in a passionate kiss, pouring her whole heart and soul, all her love into the kiss, laying it all on the line.

Draco couldn't hold back anymore. He responded with just as much intensity, pulling her so close to him, they couldn't tell where one ended and the other began. Tomorrow, it could all go to hell but he'll deal with it then. He'll be damned if he let anything happen to her. But that's tomorrow. Tonight, he'll give in. He'll give in one last time and show her just how much she means to him before he turns his back on her tomorrow.

He has to let her go. It's inevitable. Tonight he'll give in but tomorrow he _will_ make her hate him and he knows just how to do it.

**

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A/N:

An explanation for the last scenes:

First of all, Draco's initiation and the resulting consequences up until that last scene have been in my head since way before most of the chapters. I always knew the story was going to get to this point – the difficult part was writing all the stuff in between.

The whole Draco-has-to-leave-Hermione-in-order-to-protect-her-from-his-task is an essential part of the classic, Hogwarts-based, Dramione story so it's inevitable that it would be included here. However, it usually involves Draco telling Hermione he doesn't love her anymore and then Hermione running off crying her eyes out, completely hurt. Now, I'm not mocking this story line at all, since I've seen it written really well by some authors. But I always wondered what would happen if Hermione didn't believe Draco. With everything they've usually gone through up to that point, I find it hard to believe that Hermione would be stupid enough to simply believe Draco when he says he doesn't like her anymore.

Granted, there is the element of self-esteem in that I can see Hermione not believing she was good enough for Draco in the first place and so it would be easy for her to believe that he had grown tired of her.

That being said, I still wondered what would happen if Hermione fought against him? Fought for him? What would happen if she refused to accept his desire to break-up with her? What if Draco gives up on that angle, recognizing her stubbornness? If it's imperative that Draco ends the relationship with Hermione for her protection, what would he do then? There's always the "Dark Mark/Draco's now a DeathEater who's done horrible things and Hermione can't handle it" angle but what if even that avenue is closed? What if, despite all the horrible things he's done, Hermione still loves him – history, family, Dark Mark, and all? What will Draco do then?

I've always wanted to find out so this is my attempt at getting an answer. If you haven't noticed already from my previous author's notes – I'm kind of paranoid about my story becoming cliché and I really try hard to put my own spin on things. Of course, like I've mentioned before, starting out with an already constrained setting such as Hogwarts is not the best choice as there's bound to be some, if not a lot of, common themes. I just hope that while the same concepts (such as the last scenes of this chapter) are present, I've put enough originality into it that it doesn't come off as terribly cliché. And that if you do see a familiar scenario, I hope that you continue reading and give it a chance instead of just discarding the story as another cliché. For those who are getting annoyed by me bringing up the cliché issue again and again (for those who think that me taking about clichés is getting terribly cliché lol), I will try never to bring up this topic again and if I need to, I will simply refer people to this and other author's notes =)

Thanks so much for reading my random little ramblings and for sticking with this story. I really do appreciate all your support and I hope you let me know what you think of this chapter and future ones as we go along.

Hope you have a great weekend!


	28. Chapter 27

Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling nor do I own Harry Potter. See the first ten chapters.

A/N: Yay, another update! I apologize for not replying to your reviews but time ran away with me again. Rest assured, I read all of them and I appreciate every single one. You have no idea how happy they make me. Unfortunately, this update is a short one but I thought I'd post it anyway. I'm not sure how fast I'll get the next chapter up but I am working on it. It just depends on how much I want to study for my upcoming exams next week. Anyway, here is chapter 27. The last chapter was quite intense so I suggest you re-read chapter 26 in order to get the impact of this chapter. Thanks for reading. I hope you like it.

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Last time:

_He has to let her go. It's inevitable. Tonight he'll give in but tomorrow he __will__ make her hate him and he knows just how to do it._

**Chapter 27**

Draco opened his eyes to find a warm body nestled against him. He looked down at Hermione's sleeping figure and the memories of last night washed over him. With a sigh he bent his face close to her curls and breathed in her intoxicating sent. The latter part of the previous night was so incredible it made him want to smile but at the same time, his heart hurt. He didn't think it was actually possible for one's heart to hurt unless they were having a heart attack but there it was – the agonizing pain of losing the amazing woman he held in his arms.

His brave, stubborn lioness. Oh, how she fought for him last night! Despite his protests, despite his faults, she fiercely refused to leave his side. He didn't know why or how but she loved him. Though he was shocked, he was elated when her words finally sunk in. Hermione, the epitome of all that was good in the world, all that was good in _his_ world, loved _him_, the scum who grovelled at the feet of a maniac. He still could not understand it. He loved her. He knew that with every fiber of his being but though he didn't verbally reciprocate her feelings, she gave her heart to him anyway. Part of him wishes that she was just a bit more selfish. She should have just agreed to break up with him. But no, Hermione saw through his lies and saw his fear. He knew that she would never believe him now if he told her he didn't want to be with her anymore. She would never believe him if he told her that this was just a game, just a phase, a momentary lapse of judgement on his part, an experiment – none of that was going to work. He could even tell her he hated her and she would see right through his facade. No, it would have to be worse. Words would not be enough. He would have to hit her where it hurt. For her own sake, he would have to crush her the only way he knew how.

He wished it didn't have to come to this. He didn't ever want to lose her but the thought of hurting her was a billion times worse. And now, he would have to do both. Draco winced. The pain in his heart was worse than the cruciatus, and he's had his share of those. This pain ran deeper, it consumed his entire being. He felt like his heart was weighed down with a thousand anvils while his soul was being ripped to shreds. A lone tear fell down his cheek as he gazed at her peaceful face. He closed his eyes and focused on the feel of her breaths against his skin.

It would be so easy to make the pain go away. All he had to do was give in and let go, lose himself in her and everything would be alright. No. Draco gathered his resolve. She didn't deserve this. She deserved so much better than this, so much better than him. He will not be selfish. It would be bloody difficult and excruciating but he would do it for her. He would do anything for her.

Draco knew he had to leave now before he broke his resolve. Carefully so as not to wake her, Draco extricated himself from Hermione's arms. He allowed himself to look upon her one last time. With a gentle caress, he brushed a strand of hair from her face before leaning down and softly kissing her cheek.

"I love you," he whispered before walking out the door.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Hermione slowly opened her eyes to find herself alone on the bed. Though deeply disappointed, she understood that Draco might need some time to himself after everything that happened. Hermione sighed as she remembered the broken state she found Draco in last night. Even now, all she wanted to do was hold him in her arms and never let go. The thought of losing him was terrifying. Despite his protests, there was no way she was letting him go without a fight. She was relieved when he finally gave in and accepted that she loved him. Hermione smiled. She couldn't believe that she blurted it out in the heat of the moment. Looking back on it though, she didn't regret it. She knew in her heart of hearts, in the depth of her soul, that she loved Draco Malfoy. Even though he didn't say it back, she hoped that someday, Draco would come to love her too.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"So are you coming to watch us practice tomorrow?" Harry asked Hermione.

"Maybe, it depends on when I finish that Charms essay." Hermione replied as they walked back to the Gryffindor common room after dinner.

The hallways were quiet as most of the students were still in the Great Hall. Harry and Hermione had free period for their last class so they decided to have dinner early in order to have more time to work on homework for the night. Well, that was Hermione's reason anyway. Harry was just hungry.

"Oh come on Hermione, you should come. We're totally going to – "Harry suddenly stopped in the middle of the hallway.

Hermione stifled a gasp when she followed his line of vision.

Draco was walking out of an empty classroom with his arms around a girl – a familiar blonde haired girl. Genevieve Harrington. Hermione watched in horror as Draco tipped Genevieve's chin up and met her lips in a searing kiss.

Hermione felt like she had the wind knocked out of her. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't move.

Apparently, Harry could. In a flash he walked up to the couple, swung his fist, and punched Draco right in the face. Draco was about to fight back when he heard Hermione's cry.

"No!"

Draco looked past Harry and met Hermione's eyes. He would never forget the look in her eyes in that moment. Her eyes were filled with pure anguish. There was no other word to describe it. The only time he'd ever seen that look in her eyes was when he found her in the dungeon after Voldemort showed her Cedric's death. He had vowed to never let her experience that much pain again and here he was, personally causing it. His heart clenched and he felt as if a thousand spears were launched onto him. He relished the pain. It wasn't even close to what he deserved. Draco resisted the urge to push Genevieve away and beg Hermione for forgiveness. No, this is exactly what he wanted. Exactly what he needed to do.

Though it felt like forever, only a moment had passed before Draco turned to Harry with a sneer.

"You couldn't honestly expect me to stay with the Mudblood could you?" Draco spat, pointing a finger at Hermione.

Harry turned to Hermione, shocked.

Harry had punched Draco because of Ron and Genevieve. Draco thought he did it for Hermione.

With a disgusted look, Harry angrily walked away from the couple.

"Harry, wait!" Hermione called out. With one last look at Draco, she turned away and hurried after her best friend.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Harry, please, let me explain!" Hermione called out desperately as she caught up to Harry.

Harry wrenched his arm away from her grasp. "Explain what Hermione?!" He yelled when he turned to face her. "Explain how you've been lying to me this whole time? Explain how you've been seeing Malfoy behind my back? Explain how you used Cedric as an excuse to shag a DeathEater? Explain what?"

"Please, just – "

"Why should I listen to a word you say? Everything that comes out of your mouth is a lie. How can I trust you? Merlin, Hermione, I can't even look at you right now!" Harry breathed heavily, his eyes crackling with fury and betrayal. The next moment his demeanour turned cold. "You know what? I'm done." With that he turned around and walked away.

Stunned and broken, Hermione crumpled to the floor as her whole life crashed before her once more.


	29. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling nor do I own Harry Potter. See the first ten chapters.

A/N: Due to popular demand, I decided to forego another day of studying to bring you this update. By the tone of your reviews, I was afraid that you would all come to my house in a big mob and hurt me if I didn't update fast enough. =) I loved all your reviews by the way. I wanted to reply to each of them but I thought you'd rather I spend that time updating. When life slows down I will go back to replying to reviews. I really do appreciate them though. Thanks so much for the support. I hope you like this chapter.

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Last time:

_Harry wrenched his arm away from her grasp. "Explain what Hermione?!" He yelled when he turned to face her. "Explain how you've been lying to me this whole time? Explain how you've been seeing Malfoy behind my back? Explain how you used Cedric as an excuse to shag a DeathEater? Explain what?"_

_"Please, just – "_

_"Why should I listen to a word you say? Everything that comes out of your mouth is a lie. How can I trust you? Merlin, Hermione, I can't even look at you right now!" Harry breathed heavily, his eyes crackling with fury and betrayal. The next moment his demeanour turned cold. "You know what? I'm done." With that he turned around and walked away._

_Stunned and broken, Hermione crumpled to the floor as her whole life crashed before her once more._

Chapter 28

To say Draco hated himself would be an understatement. If he had a choice between going through this or medieval torture, he would gladly choose torture. He knew that he would have to hurt Hermione in order to save her but he wasn't prepared for how much anguish it would cause her. He would rather die a thousand deaths than cause her that much pain. But it wasn't just his life on the line. The only thing that kept him going was the thought that no matter what, Potter would be with her. But even that, he managed to screw up. Because of him, Hermione lost her best friend. He honestly thought that Potter somehow knew about him and Hermione and that's why he punched him. Later, he realized that Potter thought Draco was causing Genevieve to cheat on Weasley. Draco would have gladly let Potter beat him to a pulp if only to atone for Hermione's suffering but he had to keep up appearances for Genevieve.

Genevieve. The slut was a piece of work. He knew she wasn't that attached to Weasley but she could've at least shown some decency and class. No, one look from him and she was all over him like potions on Longbottom. Hermione was so far above her, they weren't even in the same galaxy, much less the same league. But it was the only way he could think of that would hurt Hermione enough to leave him. He just hoped it was worth it.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Genevieve was on cloud nine as she walked towards Gryffindor Tower. Things had turned out better than she'd hoped. She was getting tired of Ron Weasley. After getting a place in Gryffindor's, and Hogwarts', elite, he lost his use. Draco's attentions couldn't have come at a better time. Despite the dark stigma, the Malfoy name hadn't lost its prestige. Now that she had conquered Hogwarts, she had to start looking at the bigger picture – the world outside of school – and Draco Malfoy was the right guy for the job. And now to add Hermione to the bargain! Genevieve sneered. Ever since finding out that Hermione had received the internship instead of her, Genevieve had been looking for a way to get back at the mudblood bitch. Finding out that she had stolen Hermione's boyfriend from her (twice!), was the icing on the cake. She scoffed. She couldn't believe Hermione was stupid enough to think that Draco was into her. As if he could ever be interested in mudblood scum like her! Genevieve knew that there must've been a good reason for Draco to even sully himself with someone that low. He must've done it to increase his influence with Dumbledore and the school. He was going to be Head Boy, after all.

Genevieve's musings were cut short when she was suddenly pulled into a corner.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She demanded when she found herself face to face with Ron.

"I should ask you the same question!" he retorted hotly. "Harry just told me that he saw you snogging Malfoy!" Ron waited for her to deny it. When she didn't, his tone became defeated. "So, it's true then."

"Of course Ronald," Genevieve scoffed. "You didn't honestly believe that you, a _Weasley_, were good enough for me, did you?"

"You bitch," Ron said, his temper returning. "I'm going to tell everyone what you did. How you lied to everyone and seduced me while I was still going out with Hermione. I'm going to tell everyone just how much of a cheating slut you really are."

"Seduced you?" Genevieve asked incredulously. "Someone must've obliviated you because as I remember, you were practically drooling the first time I talked to you. And you won't tell anyone anything. You will tell everyone that we broke up before I started seeing Draco because you wouldn't want everyone to know that I chose Draco over you. That you were just a placeholder until something better came along. You wouldn't want everyone to know that once again, Weasley came second to Malfoy." Genevieve paused. "Don't give me that look. You're not so innocent in all this. You used me to try to get out of Harry's shadow. You only became friends with him in the first place because of his scar. But you know what? You'll never get out of Harry's shadow. You're just not cut out for glory. You'll always be the sidekick. If I were you, I'd do everything to keep my pride, Ron. It's all you have left."

oOoOoOoOoOo

Once again, Hermione found herself cold and alone in Hogwarts grounds. She didn't know how she managed to pull herself out of that hallway but here she was, gazing unseeingly at the expanse of the lake.

She thought she'd be more upset than this. Angrier than this, more emotional than this, more...something. Anything. But she was numb. She didn't feel anything. She felt empty. Did she even have a heart to feel anything anymore? Probably not. Draco had taken what was left of her heart and ripped it to shreds. She had given him all of her, everything she had. Did he help her become whole again only to have more to destroy? Hermione refused to believe that. She refused to believe that once again she was that stupid. She refused to believe that the past few months with him were a lie. That his touch, his eyes, his kiss were all a lie. Devastated. There. A feeling. Hermione was completely and utterly devastated. There was no other word to describe it. She lost everything. She lost Draco. She lost Harry.

Harry. Pain so intense shot through Hermione that she doubled over and heaved a huge breath. When she thought she lost him once before, she tried to kill herself, thinking that nothing else was left for her. And that was when losing him was not confirmed. Back then, there was a tiny hope that she was being stupid, that Harry never forgot about her after all. When he told her that he never stopped caring for her, the joy that went through her was indescribable. But now, she truly lost him and there was no uncertainty about it. His eyes... the look in his eyes! The hate and the hurt – oh Merlin, what had she done?! She lost the only person that was there for her from the beginning, the only person who mattered. And for what? A pompous, lying bastard with fickle emotions?

No, Draco wasn't that shallow. Despite it all, she knew him. No matter how hard he tried to hide it, she saw a flicker of self-hate break through the cold wall he put in his eyes. Nothing was ever that simple. He truly wanted to end things between them. He wanted her to hate him. But why?

Normally Hermione would have fought for him. Whatever reason he had for wanting a break-up, they can deal with it – together. But this...this crossed the line. He always _did_ know how to push her buttons, how to hurt her the most. Well, mission accomplished. She could've handled anything but this. Genevieve – he knew how much she hurt her. He knew how insecure she was about Genevieve. He knew how much she hated the other girl. To use Genevieve to achieve whatever end he's trying to accomplish... he must've really wanted to hurt her. Could he really hate her after all? Was she really just a mudblood to him? Maybe this was an elaborate game to him, a prank to amuse himself. Build her up so he could tear her down. The ultimate way to prove his superiority, to bring down the mudblood who dared defy him. He and the rest of the Slytherins were probably having a good laugh about it now. How a mudblood thought that she could mean something to Draco Malfoy. Would he tell them everything? Would they laugh about Cedric, her desperation, her dreams? No, he wouldn't do that – would he?

Frustration. There it was, another feeling. She didn't know what to think anymore. Sophie, his mother, the Dark Mark...they can't all have been a lie. Draco was smart enough not to risk everything for some stupid game. She tried to hold onto that belief, otherwise she'd find herself at the top of the Astronomy Tower again.

No, she had her pride. It was all she had left. She would not let Genevieve see her defeated. If Draco wanted her to hate him, so be it. She would not only hate him, she would forget him. She would focus on the one thing that was important – Harry. No more secrets. She'll start with Ginny. She would tell Ginny everything and hope that her friend would help her gain Harry's trust back. She just hoped Ginny wasn't feeling particularly vindictive today.

oOoOoOoOoOo

With a heavy heart, Hermione walked back to the Gryffindor common room. It was so late that the room was empty save for two figures by the fire. One of the figures turned upon hearing Hermione enter through the portrait.

"Ginny, I – "

Ginny shook her head. "I can't talk to you right now," she said, looking sadly at Hermione.

Hermione felt tears start to burn in the back of her eyes. Not wanting Ginny to see her breakdown, Hermione ran out of the tower. Eventually her lungs started to protest and she stopped in the middle of an empty hallway. This was it. Ginny didn't want to talk to her either. She lost the only way she had of getting through to Harry. Harry didn't even break his gaze from the fire to look at her. She truly had lost them. Hermione collapsed onto the floor and her emotions caught up with her as she let heaving sobs break through her body.

"Hermione?"

Hermione didn't know how long she had been in that hallway before she heard a voice address her. She looked up through tear-blurred eyes to find red.

"Oh Ginny!" Hermione exclaimed as she bent her face into her hands. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so, sorry. I – "

"Shhh," Ginny soothed, kneeling down to gather her friend into her arms. "It's alright. I'm here. It's going to be alright."

What a sight they made. Two teenaged girls huddled in the middle of a deserted corridor. One trying to calm the other. Both obviously distressed.

"I don't know what to do," Hermione choked out between sobs, talking faster and faster. "He hates me, I know he does. And I didn't mean for this to happen, I – "

"Harry doesn't hate you," Ginny started. "He – " She paused. "Well, he didn't really tell me much. How about we find a better place to talk and you can tell me everything."

Hermione could tell that Ginny was trying to protect her from further details but she didn't press her. The two girls quietly made their way to the kitchens.

"Okay, tell me what happened," Ginny said once they received some hot chocolate.

Hermione went on to tell her everything. From the fateful night in the Astronomy tower, to her relationship with Draco, to the internship, and eventually, the fallout of today, Hermione told her as much as she could without revealing details about Sophie and Narcissa. By the end of it all, Ginny's heart ached for her friend who had gone through so much and had to carry it all alone.

"I didn't mean to hurt Harry," Hermione finished quietly.

"I know," Ginny replied. "You have to understand though how big of a shock it was for him. For both of us. Especially with everything that's happened between you this year."

"I know Gin, and I'm sorry."

"Don't worry," Ginny said. "Give him time to cool off and think about things. Harry will come around. He loves you Hermione, don't ever doubt that."

"I don't deserve it," Hermione replied.

"Nonsense," Ginny protested, giving Hermione a hug. "He needs you as much as you need him. Everything will be alright. You'll see. And I'll always be here."

"Thanks Gin," Hermione said with a small smile.

"As for the Wonderbitch, when I get my hands on her..."

oOoOoOoOoOo

Over the next few days Draco tried hard to look at Hermione with nothing but disdain. Thankfully, it seemed like she was doing her best to avoid him, which was just as well. It hurt every time he looked at her. It was sheer agony having her so close and knowing he can never hold her again. He felt sick every time he had to kiss Genevieve but he had to keep up appearances. He tried not to do it in front of Hermione. The hurt that flashed into her eyes the first time it happened after that night caught Draco so off guard that he almost gasped at the intensity of the sorrow he felt. He didn't want to cause her any more pain than he had to. Unfortunately, Genevieve had other plans. She seemed to try and make a point by kissing him every time Hermione was in the vicinity.

At least he played his part well. He was so worried about Hermione, it's a wonder that no one had run to Voldemort reporting his treachery. Draco wasn't sure how much longer he could keep up the facade. The thought of protecting Hermione was the only thing that kept him going. He hated that it had to be this way. He didn't miss the way Potter clearly refused to talk to his best friend. He could see how much it affected Hermione. He worried about her endlessly and thought of her day and night. Every night, he circled the skies around the Astronomy Tower just in case she decided to jump again. There were times when he almost wished that she would, if only to give him an excuse to hold her again while catching her. But she never showed. Every morning, he sagged with relief when he saw her show up to class, glad that she hadn't done anything drastic. Between Hermione, Sophie, school, and his task, Draco's energy was quickly being drained. He hoped Potter would hurry up and kill the bastard soon.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Genevieve was not a happy camper. Despite Ron's insistence that they were over before she started seeing Draco, Genevieve was now a Gryffindor outcast. She knew that most of them really couldn't care less about the drama but when Harry Potter hated someone, everyone hated them too – in this case, that someone happened to be her. Harry wasn't too keen on Hermione either, they weren't even speaking, but she had Ginny on her side so the rest of the Gryffindors weren't too hard on her. Genevieve shook her head at the stupidity and sheep-like mentality of her classmates. They'd follow their leaders over the edge of a cliff without so much as a thought. In any event, she hated losing control. She needed to gain it back and she was going to start with Hermione Granger. The mudblood bitch proved to be more annoying than she thought. She still needed to get back at her for getting the internship. Taking Draco and Harry away from her was one thing, but it wasn't enough. She needed to deliver a final blow that would leave Granger on her knees.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Sophie was upset. She hadn't seen Hermione in a long time. Every time she asked Draco about her, he just shut her down and changed the subject. Sometimes, he would even get mad at her if she persisted. Sophie may be five but she was observant and she knew her brother. She knew that her brother was sad and upset and it made her sad too. She knew that Hermione was the only person who could fix him. Where was she? Did she not like them anymore? Sophie always got what she wanted and right now she wanted Hermione. If Hermione wasn't going to come, Sophie was going to find her.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Excuse me."

Genevieve was walking back from class when she heard a small voice call out. She turned around and was surprised to find a little girl of about five, with curly, blonde hair and what looked like a mini-Hogwarts uniform on. The little girl boldly went up to her.

"Excuse me," the girl began when she had Genevieve's attention. "Do you know where Hermione is?''

Genevieve looked at the girl incredulously. She couldn't believe the mudblood had the gall to let little children into the school. And to dress them up as well! She wouldn't be surprised if this girl was Hermione's cousin or something, another mudblood Hermione was hoping to turn into a witch. Genevieve scoffed. If Hermione had her way, this place would be crawling with mudbloods and purebloods would be outnumbered! Well, not on her watch. This could be a good way to get back at Hermione and put her in her place.

"What do you think you're doing?" Genevieve asked the little girl impetuously. "You don't belong here. Now, let's go." Genevieve grabbed the girl's arm and pulled her outside toward the gate.

"Ow, you're hurting me! Let go!"

They reached the school gates. Genevieve opened them with her wand and pushed the girl out. "Now run along. Go back to where you came from and don't ever return!" Genevieve slammed the gate shut before walking back towards the castle leaving the girl alone.

Sophie didn't know what to do. She tried to open the gate but it wouldn't budge. She started to panic. Where was Hermione? Where was her brother? Hoping to find someone to help her, Sophie started walking.


	30. Chapter 29

Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling nor do I own Harry Potter. See the first ten chapters.

A/N: Thank you so much for all your reviews! I'm so stressed out right now with my exams and your reviews are really helping me get through this time. Anyway, I had some of this chapter written before I posted chapter 28. I couldn't stop writing! I think it was partly a way for me to stall because I dreaded going back to my studies. Some of you were quite perceptive in your reviews and guessed at things to come. In any event, this will be the last update in at least a week if not more, because I really am behind. If only, as Jade2099 suggested, I could "give up my education and write for you all" =P I hope you enjoy this chapter. Reviews would be lovely and I would appreciate it if you could be patient and hold off on the mob until I am able to update again =) Thanks again for your support. Hope you have a great week!

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_Last time:_

"_Ow, you're hurting me! Let go!"_

_They reached the school gates. Genevieve opened them with her wand and pushed the girl out. "Now run along. Go back to where you came from and don't ever return!" Genevieve slammed the gate shut before walking back towards the castle leaving the girl alone._

_Sophie didn't know what to do. She tried to open the gate but it wouldn't budge. She started to panic. Where was Hermione? Where was her brother? Hoping to find someone to help her, Sophie started walking._

Chapter 29

"Are you ready for bed Izzy?" Draco called as he entered Sophie's suite. "Izzy?" he repeated after receiving no response. He looked around at the empty living room. "Sophie?" he called out, louder this time. Still no response. He checked the bathroom. "Sophie, are you in here?" The bathroom was empty. So was the kitchen and the play area. Draco went into his sister's bedroom, hoping to find her asleep to explain the lack of response. "Sophie?"

Nothing. Starting to panic, Draco checked everywhere once more - in the closet, under the bed, behind doors, the couch, anywhere Sophie might be hiding.

"Sophia Isabella this is not funny. You come out here right this instant!" Draco demanded trying to keep his voice from shaking. He knew something was wrong. "Dobby!"

Dobby appeared with a crack. "Master Draco!" The elf squeaked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? Trying to look for Sophie!" Draco tried to keep the agitation out of his voice. "Where is she?"

"I thought she was with you."

"What do you mean?"

"Some house-elves saw a young lady leading Miss Sophie outside the castle. I thought you knew about the situation and would be meeting them."

Something about the way Dobby assumed nothing was wrong alarmed Draco. Clearly, he knew who the person was, otherwise, he would've been alarmed at Sophie's absence. "Who was it Dobby?" Draco asked coldly. Whoever that person was, if they hurt so much as a hair on Sophie's head, they'd be begging for death.

Dobby looked terrified now. "I...I b-b-beg your pardon s-s-sir," Dobby's voice was shaking. If looks could kill, Dobby's head would be up on a wall by now. "I thought you knew. I...I th-th-thought you told her about Miss Sophie."

"Who. Was. It. Dobby?" Draco asked though he knew the answer.

"Th-th-the Harrington girl. The one Master Draco is with."

With an angry swish of his robes, Draco walked out the door without so much as a backward glance.

Draco quickly walked toward the Gryffindor tower hell bent on finding Genevieve Harrington. Luckily, he didn't have to wait long.

"Draco, darling!" Genevieve greeted with a smile as she walked out of the library and saw him in the hallway.

Genevieve suddenly found herself slammed against the wall of an empty classroom, Draco clutching her robes.

"Where is she?" Draco asked, his voice dangerously low.

"Who are you – "

"The girl! The little girl you pulled out of Hogwarts earlier!"

Genevieve was scared. The look in his eyes made her believe that he really was capable of killing. "Draco, you're hurting me," she whimpered. Thankfully, he let go. She started to breathe a sigh of relief when suddenly a wand was trained on her chest. She looked up and met Draco's eyes. She had never seen so much hate in anyone's eyes before.

"Tell me where she is or I swear – "

"I don't know!" Genevieve blurted out.

"How can you not know?! The house-elves saw you with her!" Draco was yelling now but his wand remained steady at her chest.

Genevieve was scared but she was also confused. What the hell did he want with the little girl? She proceeded to tell him so. "She was looking for Granger. She's just another mudblood scum! One of Granger's many protégés. Don't you get it? Granger's trying to overrun our world with her kind! Can you imagine Granger's nerve – she even dressed up this kid in a Hogwarts uniform! So I put the girl back where she belonged – outside of Hogwarts! I did this school a favour. I left her outside the gate. Who knows where she is now? Frankly, who cares?"

Draco choked as he remembered the birthday present the Headmaster gave Sophie. But he couldn't breakdown now. He grabbed Genevieve's robes once more and pushed himself up against her.

"If anything happens to her I swear I will personally make sure you never breathe again."

Draco stormed out, leaving Genevieve gaping after him in shock.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Draco was scared. Sophie was somewhere outside the protection of Hogwarts. Who knows what, or more terrifying, _who_ might find her? He needed to find her. He needed help.

Draco frantically made his way to Gryffindor Tower. He quickly showed the Fat Lady his prefect badge before bursting through the open hole.

"Hermione?!" Draco called as soon as he entered.

"How dare you?!" Ginny said indignantly when she saw him. "How dare you walk in – "

"Ginny?" Hermione asked as she walked down the stairs towards the common room. "What's going – "

"Hermione!" As soon as he spotted her, Draco called out, forgetting the Weaselette.

As soon as she saw him, Hermione turned around and started to walk up the stairs.

"She's gone!"

That stopped her in her tracks. She turned to face him.

"I know you hate me right now and you have every right to be but she's gone! Merlin, she's gone! You have to help me!"

Hermione didn't think twice. As soon as she looked into his desperate eyes and heard the words, she whipped out her wand, summoned her cloak and dashed down the stairs.

"Hermione, what are you – "

"Ginny, call Dobby," Hermione interrupted her friend. "Tell him to go find Snape. He'll know what to do." With that she followed Draco out of the tower leaving a bewildered Ginny behind.

oOoOoOoOoOo

A couple of hours passed and still no sign of Sophie. Draco and Hermione looked everywhere for the little girl, both outside and inside Hogwarts grounds just in case she found a way to get back in. The search had been tense, awkward, and silent. Draco's panic increased with each passing minute.

"Do you think she could've wandered all the way to Hogsmeade?" Draco asked, breaking the silence.

"Maybe," Hermione replied as they stood outside the gates once more. "Let's split up. You can fly around and see more from above."

"I can't leave you alone out here."

"I've walked to Hogsmeade tons of times before. I'll be fine. We need to find Sophie now."

"Fine," Draco reluctantly conceded. "But if anything happens, shoot up red sparks." He caught her gaze and looked at her seriously. "Hermione, if something does happen and you have a chance to run, take it. Screw your Gryffindor courage. Don't worry about me or Sophie. I'll find her. I don't have enough in me to worry about both of you right now. I need to know I can focus on finding my sister. Promise me you'll put yourself first."

Hermione scoffed. "Since when do you care? I'm here because I care about Sophie."

"Don't worry about me," she continued giving a hard laugh. "You never have before".

Her answer stung and he knew he deserved it but he can't let anything happen to her either. He looked into her eyes. "Just promise me," he pleaded. "Please Hermione."

Hermione looked at him coldly. "I don't owe you anything Malfoy."

oOoOoOoOoOo

The streets of Hogsmeade were dark and deserted at night. Hermione carefully walked around, the light from her wand casting eerie shadows around her. Suddenly, a hand clamped over her mouth as another arm locked her in a vice-like grip. Hermione kicked and struggled against her captor but to no avail.

"Silencio," said a deep voice.

Hermione panicked when she realized she lost her voice and couldn't scream. Her captor laughed, finding her panic amusing. More people came toward her, until enough light from their wands lit up her surroundings. Hermione looked around in horror at the crowd of hooded figures. DeathEaters.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Draco frantically flew around, keeping one eye out for Sophie and another for any signal that may come from Hermione. Suddenly, he felt burning pain shoot up his left arm. Draco struggled to stay on the broom as the Dark Mark felt like it was clawing its way out of his arm. When he finally landed and focused on the location, Draco was alarmed to find that he was being called to Hogsmeade.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Ah Draco, how good of you to join us," Lucius greeted when Draco appeared.

As he looked around, Draco saw Snape with the crowd of DeathEaters, watching him. Draco's attention was shifted when a hooded figure brought Hermione forward, struggling in her captor's arms. She stilled when her eyes found Draco.

"You have served the Dark Lord well," Lucius continued. "You delivered the Mudblood to us and now your task is complete."

Hermione looked at Draco in shock. Draco locked eyes with her for an infinitesimal moment. The hurt and betrayal in her eyes made him feel sick to his stomach.

"Aww," Lucius mocked, enjoying Hermione's distress. "Did you trust him?" Lucius looked from Draco to Hermione. "Oh, what's this?" Lucius exclaimed with a manic grin. "Did you _love_ him? Well, well, well, this is certainly interesting. Heartbroken over Draco, are you?" He spat in Hermione's face. "As if a Malfoy would willingly dirty himself with a mudblood."

Lucius' last comments made Draco reach for his wand when suddenly, he caught a flash of blonde by a building out of the corner of his eye. Draco looked toward Snape – Snape saw her, too.

"Since we're all done here," Snape said in a bored tone. "I'm going to head back to the school." He gave Draco an imperceptible nod.

"You're not going to see us present her to the Dark Lord?" Lucius asked.

"Unlike some people who only care about getting the glory, I have to do what's best for the Dark Lord." Snape sneered. "It would be highly suspicious if they discover Ms. Granger missing and I'm conveniently gone as well. It's alright Lucius, you take all the credit this time, seeing as how you desperately need it."

"You will slip up one of these days Severus, and I will be there to catch it," Lucius answered. "Let's go."

With a resounding crack, the DeathEaters disapparated with Hermione in tow.

When the street was empty once more, Snape hurried over to pick up Sophie.

"Uncle Sev!" Sophie exclaimed once she was in her godfather's arms. "I was so scared. The mean girl told me to get out and I didn't know where to go. It was soo dark." Sophie started to cry.

"Sshh, it's alright, I'm here," Snape soothed, thinking about killing Genevieve with his bare hands. "Let's get you back."

"Where's Draco?" Sophie asked.

"He was busy looking for you. He now went to tell your mother we found you."

"How would he know you found me? I didn't see him."

Usually, Snape found it great that they both inherited Narcissa's intelligence. Not so much this time. "Umm, I told him by magic. He had to go really quickly. Your mother was really worried."

"Ok," Sophie said with a yawn, seemingly satisfied with his response. "Will the mean girl kick me out again?" she asked sleepily.

"No, she won't do that again," Snape said darkly. "You can stay in my room tonight, how about that?"

When he received no response, he looked over to find an exhausted Sophie sleeping on his shoulder.


	31. Chapter 30

Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling nor do I own Harry Potter. See the first ten chapters.

A/N: Hello everyone, here is the next chapter. It's a bit later than I expected but it can't be helped. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I hope you enjoy this chapter! Have a good week!

_

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_

_Last time:_

"_Ok," Sophie said with a yawn, seemingly satisfied with his response. "Will the mean girl kick me out again?" she asked sleepily._

"_No, she won't do that again," Snape said darkly. "You can stay in my room tonight, how about that?"_

_When he received no response, he looked over to find an exhausted Sophie sleeping on his shoulder._

**Chapter 30**

With a sickening lurch, Hermione found herself in what she recognized as the entrance hall of Malfoy Manor.

_This can't be happening_.

If she had any doubts before, this certainly wiped them all out. Draco really _did_ hate her. The thought made her want to cry, not out of fear, but frustration about her sheer stupidity. As if someone like him could actually be interested in her! Their relationship, Sophie, Narcissa – it was all part of his task, an elaborate plot to deliver her to Voldemort.

"Ah, Ms. Granger, we meet again."

_Speak of the devil._

The DeathEater who held her captive roughly pushed Hermione forward. Voldemort reached a bony finger under her chin. Hermione tried hard not to flinch, glaring at the snake-like figure in front of her.

"My, my, my, such spirit," Voldemort hissed. "Not to worry, we'll break it soon enough." He laughed. "You remember our last encounter, don't you Mudblood? Did you enjoy it? Did you enjoy seeing the life drain from your boyfriend's eyes? Such a shame. He was such a good-looking boy. Don't know why he wasted it on the likes of you." Hermione's eyes flashed angrily. Voldemort continued. "But you always did want the ones you can't have; the ones who are too good for you. A little birdie told me you have quite the crush on the young Malfoy." Voldemort paused watching Hermione. "Yes, you may be blocking your mind from me Mudblood but I can see it all over your face." He laughed. "Did you honestly believe he would want you?" The DeathEaters laughed with him. "No," Voldemort continued. "Draco was merely following orders...my orders. Speaking of which, where is he? Step forward Draco."

With a deep breath, Draco willed his mask to stay on and walked out from behind the crowd to stand in front of Voldemort.

"Well done," Voldemort said. "You will be rewarded for your service."

"Thank you my Lord," Draco replied, giving a deep bow. He did his best to avoid Hermione's eyes, knowing that one look would cause his resolve to break. Keeping Voldemort's trust was the only way to save her now.

Voldemort turned his attention back to the crowd and Draco stepped back. "Now that we have the mudblood here, Potter will surely come and we can finally finish what we started!"

The crowd cheered.

"But I don't see why we have to wait for Potter to have some fun," Voldemort continued. "_Crucio!_" He shouted, pointing his wand at Hermione. Hermione fell from her captor's grasp, writhing in pain on the floor. Draco had to give everything to stop himself from throwing his body on top of hers to protect her from the curse. His knuckles went white as he clenched his fists by his side.

After moment, Voldemort lifted the spell. "Well, this is no fun, I want to hear her scream!" He laughed evilly, lifting the silencing spell from Hermione. Soon, the sounds of her heavy breathing filled the room.

Hermione looked up from the floor. "You're wrong," she said to Voldemort. "Harry will never come for me. Thanks to your _servant_," she sneered, looking over at Draco. "Harry hates me."

Voldemort laughed darkly. "We'll see mudblood," he replied. "Potter has always been the..._emotional_ type. No doubt he already has his broom in his hand. In the meantime, why don't we make you more useful, hmm? Whether or not he hates you now, you no doubt know what he and Dumbledore are planning with their precious Order."

Hermione remained silent, glaring up at Voldemort.

"No?" Voldemort asked. "Pity. _Crucio!"_

Hermione gasped as the agonizing pain of the curse took hold of her once more. Still, she refused to make a sound.

"Come now, Ms. Granger," Voldemort said as he lifted the curse. "You know how this game works. You give me an answer and I'll give you a reprieve. What are they planning?"

"I don't know."

"_Crucio!"_

After a few moments, Voldemort stopped once more. "I commend your strength Ms. Granger but really, it's unnecessary. If, as you say, Potter hates you, then there's no point in protecting him, is there?" Voldemort continued, his voice sickly sweet. "All you have to do is say a few words and I can make the pain stop."

"They don't tell me anything."

"_Crucio!_"

Hermione couldn't take it anymore. Her body could only handle so much. She screamed as her nerves felt like they were on fire and she was being sliced into pieces at the same time. Tears streamed down her face as she tried desperately to escape the pain.

Draco couldn't handle it. He felt like he was stabbed every time Voldemort cursed Hermione. As the DeathEaters cheered around him, he wanted nothing more than to push them all aside and take Hermione far away from here. Watching her writhe in pain and hearing her scream was the worst possible torture for him. And it was all his fault.

_Think Draco! Think!_ Damn it, he had to do something!

Hermione's screams stopped.

"I don't take well to lies, mudblood," Voldemort hissed. "I know Potter tells you everything. Tell. Me. What. They're. Planning."

"I'd rather die."

"_Crucio!_"

Draco was ready this time. As the DeathEaters cheered once more, he concentrated with all of his might on casting a non-verbal _Stupefy_,knocking Hermione out cold.

"What a shame," Voldemort muttered when he thought Hermione fainted. "Oh well," he said in a brighter tone. "We shall continue when she wakes. Bring her to the dungeons."

"I'm surprised she even lasted this long," Bellatrix cackled.

"Yes, well, I don't know about the rest of you but I'm exhausted," Voldemort said. "Too much entertainment for one night," he said with a sinister smile. "What say we all retire for the night?"

With that, everyone made their way out of the entrance hall.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Harry was awakened by a sharp pain in his forehead. _Voldemort._

Suddenly, a bright light zoomed towards him, illuminating the dorm room.

"Fawkes!" Harry exclaimed when the phoenix landed on his shoulder. "What's going on?"

Fawkes tilted his head, signalling Harry to follow him. The phoenix flew out of the room, Harry following close behind.

"What's happening Professor?" Harry asked once he entered Dumbledore's office.

"Harry – "

"What the hell is he doing here?!" Harry yelled, when he noticed another person in the room. "He's a DeathEater! He – "

"I know," Dumbledore replied stunning Harry into silence. He didn't expect Dumbledore to believe him just like that. "I know much more than just your word Harry," Dumbledore added guessing what was on the boy's mind. "Now, I need you to sit down and promise me that you will listen."

"I'm listen – "

"Harry." Dumbledore looked gravely into Harry's eyes. There was no twinkle in them now.

Dumbledore's seriousness made Harry sit in front of Dumbledore's desk, glaring at Draco beside him.

Once Harry was seated, Dumbledore continued. "Ms. Granger has been captured by Voldemort."

That set Harry off again. "What did you do to her?!" he screamed, his wand aimed at Draco's chest. Draco didn't even flinch. Harry pulled Draco up by his shirt. "If something happens to her I swear I – "

"Let him go Harry," Dumbledore said calmly. He knew it was going to be difficult but he hoped the boy wouldn't be impossible.

With a glare, Harry reluctantly let Draco go. Draco just sat back down, a forlorn expression on his face.

"We will tell you everything but you have to listen. It is of the utmost importance, for Hermione's sake, that you pay attention to everything we say and not let your emotions or your judgements get the better of you. Knowledge is power Harry. You cannot hope to defeat Voldemort and save Ms. Granger without knowing all the facts."

oOoOoOoOoOo

"_Ennervate._"

Hermione woke up dazed and disoriented. The cold, hard floor beneath her quickly reminded her of her predicament. She was about to scream when a hand clamped over her mouth.

"Sshh," a soft voice warned.

Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione saw a flash of blonde hair. She turned around to find herself face to face with Narcissa. When their eyes met, Narcissa let go of her mouth and Hermione immediately backed away from her, much to her dismay.

"What do you want?" Hermione asked. Though she was whispering, Narcissa didn't miss the hostile undertone in her voice.

"I'm here to help you," Narcissa replied, reaching to comfort the young girl. Hermione flinched and moved further away."

"Don't touch me," Hermione said. "You and your family make me sick. To think I trusted you!"

Narcissa looked at her sadly. Hermione looked so broken. There were bruises on her face and around her wrists and she could barely hold herself up from exhaustion. Narcissa couldn't bear the thought of the incredible girl in front of her being in so much pain. She had grown to love the girl who gave her son his life back. Hermione was pretty much another daughter to her. Now, Hermione hated them, felt betrayed by them – and rightly so – but it still hurt to see.

"I wish I could explain everything but now is not the time," Narcissa said, pleading with her eyes.

"Why should I believe you?" Hermione shot back. She could feel tears start to burn behind her eyes. She didn't want to cry, she didn't want to give them the satisfaction of seeing her breakdown. But seeing Narcissa like this, it hurt. She looked like she genuinely cared for her and Hermione wanted nothing more than to throw herself in the woman's arms. She was so scared. But her son was the reason Hermione was here in the first place. This was probably just another way to get into her head.

"There's nothing I can do to make you believe me," Narcissa said sadly. "But I want you to know that we didn't mean for this to happen. I would _never_ willingly put you in harm's way. Draco – "

Hermione winced at the sound of his name. Narcissa continued.

"Draco is sick with worry for you. If he could do it by himself, if he only had the power to bring down – " Narcissa shook her head, seemingly remembering where she was.

"Well if you're so worried, why not help me get out of here?" Hermione knew she sounded petulant but she needed to know where they stood.

Narcissa shook her head once more. "I can't help you with that."

Hermione's face fell.

"I'm so sorry," Narcissa said. "I would gladly get you out of here but the Dark Lord has locked onto your magical signature. After last time, he didn't want to take any chances. If you so much as move to a different room he'll know, much less if you attempt to escape. I'm afraid your only hope now is for Harry Potter to come and save us all."

"Why are you here then?"

"Oh," Narcissa exclaimed, remembering her purpose. "I came to bring you some food." She pulled out some bread with cheese and a water bottle.

Hermione looked at the food warily.

"The Dark Lord will not let up until he gets what he wants," Narcissa stated. "You will need your strength to buy you some time."

"Please Hermione," Narcissa pleaded when Hermione refused to move. "I know you'll never forgive yourself if you gave the Dark Lord the information he wants simply because you were too weak to fight him off. For your sake, I'm not going to let that happen. If you're not going to do it for yourself, then please do it for Harry."

Narcissa was right. The thought of Harry made Hermione slowly reach for the food. As soon as she put a piece of bread to her mouth, Hermione realized how hungry and weak she was. As she ate with shaking hands, Hermione looked up to find Narcissa watching her with tears flowing down her beautiful, but heartbroken face. When their eyes met, an understanding passed between them. The bread dropped to the floor as Hermione collapsed into Narcissa's waiting arms.

"It's alright," Narcissa soothed, holding the shaking girl in her arms. "It's going to be alright. Everything will be alright."

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Why should I believe him?" Harry asked once Dumbledore had finished explaining everything. "With all due respect Professor, how do we know he's not feeding us lies for Voldemort? For all we know, even his so-called sister is made up. You're telling me that Lucius Malfoy has a daughter he doesn't know about? He could've transfigured a hinkypunk!"

Dumbledore winced when he looked over at Draco. "Harry, Draco is telling the truth. I could even bring Sophie in here to show you – "

"No." Draco's firm voice stopped Dumbledore and caused both of them to look at him. Draco had been silent throughout the whole ordeal so Harry was shocked to hear his voice.

"Draco," Dumbledore began.

"No," Draco insisted once more. He turned to Harry. "You can say whatever you want about me Potter but I will not let you drag my sister into this." He looked over at Dumbledore. "I'm sorry Professor, but I will not subject my sister to this runaround. Hermione is in trouble and I don't have time to sit here and debate my character. I thought you could help me, that Potter was _the key_ or something ridiculous like that. Clearly, I was wrong." Draco stood up and walked towards the door. Just before leaving, Draco turned back to Dumbledore. "Professor, when the time comes, I trust that you'll tell Hermione everything." After a moment he added, "And Potter, I don't know why, but she loves you with all her heart. She only ever thought of what's best for you. You're a jerk for treating her the way you did."

Harry stood there stunned. As Draco stepped out the door, Harry finally found his voice.

"Malfoy, wait!"


	32. Chapter 31

Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling nor do I own Harry Potter. See the first ten chapters.

A/N: Hello, my amazing readers. Here's another chapter for you! Blood, sweat, tears, and the better part of three days were spent writing this instalment at the expense of my grades. I really hope you enjoy this chapter. Thank you so much for all your reviews – you guys are the reason I keep this going (that, and Draco and Hermione keep yelling at me in my head to get moving lol). Anyway, I've digressed enough. No matter what happens, please read the whole thing through and do NOT scroll down to skip. Skip, and it'll be your loss because you won't get the whole experience. Scratch that, skip and I will hunt you down =p Oh, and before I forget, there's an important spell in this chapter that some of you may have forgotten about. If you need a refresher, "Harry" explains it at the end of chapter 3. Read this chapter first though before you look it up so you'll know what I'm talking about and things won't be spoiled. Thanks for your continued support! Here is Chapter 31. Let me know what you think!

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* * *

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Last time:

_Just before leaving, Draco turned back to Dumbledore. "Professor, when the time comes, I trust that you'll tell Hermione everything." After a moment he added, "And Potter, I don't know why, but she loves you with all her heart. She only ever thought of what's best for you. You're a jerk for treating her the way you did."_

_Harry stood there stunned. As Draco stepped out the door, Harry finally found his voice._

"_Malfoy, wait!"_

**Chapter 31**

_Knock. Knock._

"Come in," a low voice hissed.

"Good evening, my lord," a tall, thin man entered, bowing deeply. He turned to the other occupant in the room. "Lucius."

"Ahh, Avery," Voldemort greeted. "What news do you have? Good things, I hope."

"I'm sorry my lord but I'm afraid my news is less than satisfactory," Avery replied, his voice trembling. "The giants are refusing to cooperate."

"Did they say why?" Voldemort asked, anger simmering underneath his voice.

"They...they want more money, my lord."

"Outrageous!" Voldemort exclaimed, slamming his fist on the table, making the other two jump. "We're already giving them more than they deserve." In a calmer voice, he turned to the Malfoy patriarch. "Lucius?"

"I'm afraid we don't have much more to give my lord," Lucius replied carefully. "Most of our funds have been spent on the cause."

"Well, we shall just have to find more money then, won't we?"

oOoOoOoOoOo

_Draco,_

_I was happy to hear that despite breaking things off with Pansy, you have managed to find a more superior match in Genevieve Harrington. The Harringtons are an influential family and ties with them are most welcome. We would like to be better acquainted with Miss Harrington and so we cordially invite both of you to dinner this Friday night at the Manor. Do not be late. _

_Father_

oOoOoOoOoOo

"How about here? We can try to get in this way and – "

"No, that won't work – "

"I haven't even finished – "

"And I'm telling you it won't work – "

"Let me at him! Let me at him!" Fred said in a loud voice as he entered the room, interrupting the beginning of another disagreement between Harry and Draco.

"Alright, let's get this party started!" George added with a whoop as he followed his brother in.

"Fred, George, really," Molly admonished.

"Mum, really," the twins chorused, their tone matching their mother's. They looked around the room. "Dad, really...Tonks, really...Kingsley, really..." and on and on they continued, greeting everyone in the room in the same manner. "Neville, really...Luna, really – "

"Hang on," George said, pausing. "Where's Ron?"

At this everyone looked at each other. Harry and Draco both clenched their fists, the only time they were synchronized with anything.

"He's a bit preoccupied with drowning his sorrows in Firewhisky at the moment," Ginny said, laying a hand on Harry's arm in an effort to calm him. "Besides, sober or not, Draco here would never let him within a hundred feet of Hermione. After how Ron treated her, I don't blame him."

If anyone was shocked at Ginny's use of Draco's first name, no one showed it.

"Blimey, we leave for a few days to promote our products on the continent and everything falls apart," observed George. "Can't you lot look after yourselves?"

"What happened?" asked Fred.

"It's a long story." Ginny sighed. "Basically, he's getting sloshed because Genevieve dumped him."

"The Harrington girl?" George asked disgustedly. "Really Mum, are you sure you didn't find Ron abandoned in Knockturn Alley? He's so _un-_Weasley like, he's worse than Percy."

"It was the postman, wasn't it?!" Fred exclaimed with a gasp. "He always _did_ make googly eyes at you. I always wondered why he kept coming to our house when we never got muggle mail...But the postman's blond – did you dye Ron's hair?! Ow!"

Molly smacked her twin sons hard on the head. "Will you two just shut up for once in your lives?!"

oOoOoOoOoOo

"So, will I be with Harry then?" Ginny asked.

"No!" Harry and the Weasleys simultaneously answered.

"Am I with Luna and Neville?"

"You're not coming Ginny," Harry sighed, running his fingers through his messy hair.

"Like hell, I'm not!"

"What he means is, we need you to stay here and wait for Hermione," Arthur added. "If we're able to get her through the Floo, we'll need someone to meet her when she arrives and take her to the Hospital Wing to make sure she's alright."

Ginny pouted but remained silent.

Harry took that as acquiescence. "Does everyone know what they're doing then?"

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Master Draco Malfoy and Miss Genevieve Harrington," a house-elf announced, allowing the couple to enter the room.

Lucius and Narcissa stood up.

"Miss Harrington, it's a pleasure to finally meet you," Lucius said, kissing Genevieve's hand.

"The pleasure's all mine, Mr. Malfoy."

"Have you met my wife, Narcissa?"

Narcissa stepped forward.

"How do you do Mrs. Malfoy?" Genevieve asked, leaning towards the older woman.

"Very well, thank you," Narcissa replied, trying not to grimace as she took Genevieve's hand and touched her cheek to hers. Draco had told her all about the other girl.

"Draco," Lucius greeted, shaking Draco's hand.

"Father." He turned to Narcissa. "Mother," he said, kissing his mother on the cheek. She surreptitiously gave his hand a squeeze while they were close.

"Shall we make our way to the dining room?

oOoOoOoOoOo

"I hope you don't mind but we have another guest joining us tonight," Lucius said after dinner as they sat in the living room.

"Not at all," Genevieve replied, wondering who the guest was.

"Good evening Miss Harrington."

Genevieve bit back a scream as Voldemort walked into the room. She had never seen Voldemort before but the frightening figure before her could not be anyone else but the darkest wizard of all time.

"I don't believe we've met, I am Lord Voldemort."

Genevieve was paralyzed. She didn't know what to do. Her etiquette dictated that she greet the figure before her but fear was preventing her to do so. Besides, what the hell was he doing here? She knew there were rumours that the Malfoys were DeathEaters, but to have Voldemort actually show up was frightening. What did they want from her? She looked over at Draco.

Draco's eyes mirrored her shock. What the hell were they playing at? As much as Draco hated the girl, he would never willingly bring anyone to Voldemort. He had a feeling that Voldemort would still be in the Manor while the dinner took place but he never guessed that he would show up and want something from Genevieve. He just jumped at the chance of having an excuse to visit the Manor. He wouldn't have brought her here if he'd known what they were planning. Maybe that was why his father never told him.

Now he worried for the girl beside him. What would he do if Voldemort decided to torture her? With just the five of them, Voldemort was bound to notice if Draco cast a _Stupefy_, non-verbal or not. He didn't need this, not tonight, of all nights.

"Come now Miss Harrington, where are your manners? I know you were brought up better than that."

Shakily, Genevieve stood up and walked over to Voldemort. "Lord Voldemort," she murmured, looking down and giving a small curtsey.

"See, now that wasn't so hard was it?" Voldemort asked with a sneer. "I've been told you're in Gryffindor, is that correct?"

"Yes, sir," Genevieve answered, her voice still soft.

"Such a shame. Oh well, you are friends with Harry Potter, are you not?"

"Yes," Genevieve replied, wondering where this was going.

_Shut up Genevieve. _Draco thought.

"How close are you to Harry Potter?"

Genevieve hesitated, not liking the direction of the conversation. Voldemort sensed her hesitation. He casually moved his hand closer to his wand. The movement was not lost on Genevieve.

"We're very good friends," Genevieve blurted out.

_Shut up! Shut up!_

Voldemort smiled. "Ah, are you indeed?" He laughed. "I was just going to use you as a way to get money from your parents but it seems that you may be more useful than I thought."

Dread filled Draco's mind.

"Tell me...Genevieve...since you're _such_ good friends, did Harry Potter tell you anything about his plans to defeat me?"

_Tell him no. Nothing. Deny it._ Draco thought, willing Genevieve to hear him.

Genevieve hesitated once more. Her family had always been neutral regarding this issue, this war, fleeing to the continent when things got a little intense. Now the battle was staring her right in the face.

Voldemort sneered, her hesitation giving him the confirmation he wanted. "I don't want to make this more difficult than it has to be," Voldemort said. When he still didn't get a response, he pulled out his wand and pointed it at Genevieve. "_Cru –_"

"Horcrux!" Genevieve yelled, falling to the floor in terror.

_Genevieve, what the hell have you done?_ Draco tried hard to keep his face impassive even though he was having a full blown panic attack inside.

Voldemort was taken aback for a moment. "How did you know about that?"

_Shut up Genevieve! Oh please, Merlin, Morgana, Circe, someone, anyone, shut her up! _Draco looked over at his mother and noticed that although she remained calm on the outside, he detected a flash of shock, anger, and fear in her eyes. He was angry too. The thought that Hermione was infinitely better than Genevieve in every way popped up in his head. Courage, strength...Genevieve did not even come close. The mere _threat_ of a curse was enough to make her sing like a canary. If he wasn't trying to be a better person for Hermione, Draco would gladly _Crucio_ Genevieve himself at that moment.

Genevieve looked up in horror, seemingly realizing what she just said. When he received no answer, Voldemort lifted his wand once more. This time, he didn't even get to speak.

"Horcruxes, you have seven of them," Genevieve cried out. Her fear propelled her as she talked faster and faster. "We destroyed five of them – your diary, Ravenclaw's diadem, Slytherin's locket, the Riddle Ring, and Hufflepuff's cup. That leaves you and your snake..."

oOoOoOoOoOo

_Come on. Come on._

Harry looked at the imposing manor before him, adrenaline pumping through every vein in his body. This was it – the moment he had been waiting sixteen years for. Behind these gates was the man he most hated, the man who took away his parents, his childhood, his godfather, the man who was now threatening to take away the only family he had left. Harry clenched his fists. Hermione better be ok or so help him, he will tear Voldemort apart limb from limb.

The sound of footsteps interrupted Harry's thoughts. He looked up to find a lone figure making his way towards them.

"Are we all set? Did you send Genevieve home?" Harry asked.

"Genevieve's still in there," Draco whispered as he quietly opened the gate with his wand. "Voldemort put her in one of the guest bedrooms." He locked eyes with Harry. "He knows about the horcruxes. Genevieve told him everything."

Harry was shocked. A feeling of self-loathing went through him for trusting the WonderBitch. Genevieve took away any upper hand they may have had against Voldemort. Luckily, she had no idea about what was happening with Hermione (since Dumbledore told the school she had gone to visit her parents) or what they were planning tonight. At least they had that. Harry reined in his anger and forced himself to focus on the task at hand.

"We won't have as much time as we thought then," Harry said. He turned to the determined crowd around him. "Is everybody ready?"

oOoOoOoOoOo

_Stupefy. Quietus._

The two figures guarding the cell dropped to the floor quietly, causing Hermione to look up.

"Narcissa!" she whispered, giving the older woman a hug when she entered the cell.

"How are you feeling? Are you alright?" Narcissa asked Hermione anxiously, looking the girl over. Over the past couple of days, Voldemort had repeatedly tortured Hermione in an effort to gain more information. Narcissa's night time visits to bring food and heal what she could, was the only reason Hermione had been able to resist the dark wizard.

"I'm as good as can be expected, given the circumstances."

"They've come for you."

Hermione's eyes started to blur from tears as relief flooded through her.

"But it's so soon!" Hermione gasped, a frightening thought occurring to her. "Harry should've planned this out more. He can't just barge in here, wands drawn. He'll get killed!" Hermione's voice started shaking in fear for her best friend. "I can last! Please Narcissa, tell them – tell them to turn back! I can stay...I can handle it...I can buy them some time...Please...He's not ready...The DeathEaters...Oh Merlin, the DeathEaters! I can't...He can't..."

"Shhh, it's going to be alright," Narcissa said, holding Hermione tighter. She pulled away after a moment and looked into Hermione's eyes. "Harry Potter has a good head on his shoulders. He's as ready as he'll ever be. With my son, he – "

"Draco's with him?"

Narcissa smiled softly, wiping the tears from Hermione's cheeks. "Draco's with him," she confirmed. "It'll all be alright. They're both strong, Hermione. They need you to be strong now."

With a deep breath, Hermione nodded, pulling herself together. Seeing that she was ready, Narcissa reached for a coin in her pocket.

oOoOoOoOoOo

The coin in Draco's hand grew warm, the signal from his mother. He looked at Harry, who understood.

"Let's go."

oOoOoOoOoOo

Somewhere in the manor, Voldemort was jolted awake by a strange feeling.

_The Mudblood!_ He realized after a moment. The mudblood had left the dungeons. He quickly got up and touched his wand to his forearm, calling his DeathEaters. He'll be damned if she got away again.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Narcissa and Hermione ran up the hidden staircases, knowing they didn't have much time. Surely, Voldemort knew by now that she was out of her cell. Though weakened by torture, Hermione pushed herself to keep up with Narcissa. Narcissa kept a tight grip on her hand, encouraging her through every step. Finally, they reached the hallway where Narcissa's room was located. They had to make it from the hidden alcove to the other end of the hallway without being seen.

Hermione could hear the sounds of fighting somewhere down below. Her heart quickened as Narcissa pulled her out once she checked that the coast was clear. Finally they made it to her bedroom. Narcissa went over to the fireplace and threw Floo Powder in.

"Hogwarts!" she shouted and the fireplace glowed green. Suddenly, Hermione's hand was ripped from her grasp.

"_Incarcerous!_" A male voice shouted. Hermione screamed as she was pulled to the floor, away from the fireplace. "I got you now Mudblood."

Hermione looked at Narcissa in a panic. The DeathEater followed her gaze.

"Narcissa?" the DeathEater asked, momentarily shocked.

Narcissa took her chance. "_Stupefy!_"

The DeathEater fell to the floor with a thud.

"_Secare_," Narcissa said, cutting the ropes that bound Hermione. Their relief was short-lived. Suddenly, another figure burst into the room.

"_Expelliarmus!_" a DeathEater shouted.

"_Stupefy!_" yelled Narcissa at the same time.

The two spells collided with each other, knocking both wands from their owner's hands.

Hermione didn't hesitate. She jumped on the DeathEater, catching him off guard.

"Narcissa, get out of here!" Hermione yelled.

Narcissa looked over to where the wands landed, on the other side of the large room. The DeathEater pushed Hermione off roughly and made a beeline for the wands. Narcissa would never make it. Hermione threw herself at the man and pulled his leg, dragging him down to the floor.

"Hermione!"

Hermione locked eyes with Narcissa as she struggled. "Sophie." Hermione said, trying to make the woman understand. "Leave Narcissa!"

Having no choice, Narcissa stepped into the fireplace, disappearing in a whirlwind of green flames.

Hermione and the DeathEater struggled on the floor, knocking tables, vases, and chairs as they reached for the wands. Finally, a hand grasped a wand.

"Avad – argh!" The spell died on the DeathEater's lips as Hermione stabbed his leg with a broken piece of glass she found on the floor.

Hermione quickly grabbed Narcissa's wand as she jumped up and ran toward the fireplace.

"_Reducto!_" The DeathEater screamed, blasting the fireplace to smithereens, cutting off Hermione's escape.

"_Confundo!_" Hermione cast the Confundus charm causing the DeathEater to rock back and forth as he howled in pain from his leg wound.

Hermione left him there as she hurriedly made her way out of the room.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"_Stupefy! Protego!_"

Neville fired spells this way and that as he made his way through the maze of the manor. He, Luna, and Tonks were charged with finding Nagini but he lost them amidst the chaos of the battle. The Order had expected Voldemort to be hiding in the Manor, and that, because of the dinner invitation extended to Genevieve, hardly any DeathEaters would be there to keep up appearances. That was why they chose that time to get Hermione out. What they didn't expect was how fast Voldemort was able to call his followers to him. They had barely made it inside the manor when DeathEaters apparated around them. The Final Battle had begun.

Neville followed a map in his head and turned into a quiet hallway to his right. He counted the doors and opened the fifth one, revealing what looked like the library. He looked around in awe at the large room, filled from floor to ceiling with books. A loud hiss got his attention as a huge green snake dropped towards him from above.

"_Stupefy!_"

Nagini fell immobilized to the ground, the angry glint in her eyes the only indication she was still alive. Neville concentrated on the snake with all his might, casting the spell that Harry taught him.

"_Fluo Vita._" Neville felt his life force drain from him but he kept his wand trained on the snake. After a few moments, a bright light emanated from within the snake. The flash of anger turned to agony as Nagini burned from the inside out. With a silent scream, the huge snake turned black and dissolved into ash. Neville dropped his wand, and fell to the floor, exhausted.

"What have you done?!" A voice screeched. "_Expelliarmus!_"

Neville's wand flew from his hand. He weakly turned around. "Bellatrix Lestrange."

"Longbottom?" Bellatrix was momentarily shocked. Then a manic grin graced her face. "Ah, you're the Longbottom kid! Yes, you look just like your father...You'll be just like him too after I've finished with you – crazy." She cackled. "This is going to be fun." She pointed her wand at Neville. "_Cruc –"_

"_Stupefy!_"

Bellatrix was silenced mid-spell as she fell to the floor.

"Luna!" Neville breathed in relief.

"Hello Neville," Luna said as she went over and helped him up. She looked over at the pile of ash. "Oh, good, you killed it."

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Potter, we meet again," Voldemort hissed when Harry finally reached him. "You are entirely too predictable."

"This ends now Voldemort," Harry seethed. The two wizards trained their wands on the other.

"Oh, but we're just getting started." Voldemort sneered. "You think you're so clever but you're forgetting that you can't kill me just yet. I still have one more Horcrux."

The coin in Harry's pocket grew warm. Harry smiled. "Guess again."

oOoOoOoOoOo

The sounds of the fighting grew louder as Hermione made her way down the hall. Finally, she reached the turn that would lead her to the safety of Draco's room and his fireplace. Hermione stopped. Resolving to help her friends, Hermione turned the other way.

She hurriedly made her way down the stairs, following the sounds of chaos and spells. She needed to get to Harry and make sure he was alright. Finally, she reached the landing, only to be stopped in her tracks.

"You stupid little mudblood," Lucius said in a cold voice.

"_Stupefy!_"

"_Protego!_" Lucius deflected her curse easily. "_Expelliarmus!_"

Narcissa's wand flew from Hermione's hand and into Lucius'. Lucius was shocked to see the mudblood carrying his wife's wand. Understanding filled his eyes.

"You bitch!" He yelled angrily. "_Supplexo!_"

Against her will, Hermione found herself forced to kneel.

Lucius raged at her from above. "You took away everything! You took away my birthright, you took away my status, you took away my family! You turned my wife and my son against me. When Potter dies and the Dark Lord reigns, I will make sure the mudbloods pay. Pity, you won't be there to see it. _Avada Kedavra!_"

oOoOoOoOoOo

Having received no signal that they were safe, Draco ran to his mother's room, hoping to find his mother and Hermione there. On the way, he cursed everything that got in his way without missing a beat. He barely registered throwing his uncles against the walls with his spells.

Draco threw open the door, his eyes focusing in on the fireplace. Finding it empty, he looked around the room, the destruction an obvious sign of a struggle. He saw no one but Amycus Carrow amidst the mess, rocking back and forth, staring at his bleeding leg, obviously Confunded.

_They must've been here then._ Without any thought for the other man, Draco hurriedly left the room. He made his way to his bedroom, to the other fireplace they would've used if his mother's was unavailable. He never got there.

As he reached the hallway turn that would lead to his wing, Draco heard the voice that chilled him to the bone.

"You stupid little mudblood."

_Hermione!_

Sure enough, seconds later, he heard Hermione yell out the stunning spell and his father deflecting it. Draco ran for his life toward the voices.

When he reached the stairs, he felt like a bludger hit him in the gut when he found Hermione kneeling in front of a furious and crazed Lucius, his wand trained on her. Neither had noticed Draco.

"...Pity you won't be there to see it," Lucius was saying.

The sight of Hermione propelled Draco to action.

"_Avada Kedavra!_" Two voices shouted simultaneously.

Two figures dropped to the floor.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"_Crucio!_"

"That was for Sirius," Harry said as Voldemort writhed in pain on the floor once more. "And this...this is for my parents." Harry held his wand steady. "_Avada Kedavra._"

With a jet of green light, Harry Potter was finally free.

But he didn't dwell on his victory. He quickly left the scene, his only thought consisting of the girl he came here for. He barely noticed the DeathEaters surrendering once they realized their master died. He barely responded to the loud yells from the Order members and simply nodded when they clapped him on the back with beaming smiles. He wouldn't smile until he saw her with his own eyes and made sure she was alright.

As he rounded the corner to the entrance hall, his worst fear was confirmed. At the bottom of the stairs were three figures. For a moment his eyes landed on the still body of Lucius Malfoy, his cane lying haphazardly beside him. The other two figures made Harry stop breathing.

Time slowed and the world fell silent, save for the rushing in his ears, as Harry saw a broken Draco Malfoy, holding a lifeless Hermione in his arms. He couldn't even move as he watched Draco desperately caress her face, squeeze her hand, shake her – all to no avail. As Draco's movements slowed, Harry started to become aware of what he was saying.

"Hermione please," Draco whispered desperately, tears streaming down his face. "Wake up," he said, caressing her beautiful face. "Please, don't leave me. You can't leave me. I had no choice," he continued brokenly. He held Hermione tighter in his arms, burying his face in her hair. "Merlin, I had no choice! I'm so sorry. I was trying to protect you. Please Hermione. Wake up. I need you. I can't...I can't..."

With a heavy heart, Harry willed his feet to move. He approached the stairs. Harry's heart broke as he gazed at his best friend, his sister, lying in his nemesis' arms, her eyes closed, lifeless. He felt himself drowning in the same pain he had felt when Sirius died in front of his eyes. He wanted nothing more than to shove Malfoy away and hold Hermione himself. But he knew the other wizard was hurting too. At this moment, Malfoy was the only one who knew exactly how Harry was feeling. For the first time, the two boys, barely men, were truly, on the same side.

Sensing another presence, Draco looked up. Grey eyes met green.

"What's the spell?" Draco whispered, quiet but determined.

Harry looked at him sadly. "I don't think it would wo– "

"What's the fucking spell Potter?!"

"Fluo Vita_._" Harry whispered.

Gazing at Hermione's face, Draco pointed his wand to her heart. "_Fluo Vita._"

A bright light shone from Draco's wand as his life force was drained from him. After a few moments, Draco collapsed, lifeless, beside Hermione.


	33. Chapter 32

Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling nor do I own Harry Potter. See the first ten chapters.

A/N: Hello! Wow, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your reviews for the previous chapter. I don't think I've ever seen so many "What?!" and "Why?!" and "No no no no!" in reviews for a chapter =p I'm really glad that you seemed to like the Final Battle. The thought of writing that chapter terrified me because I wasn't sure I'd be able to pull off the battle scenes. For those who thought that was the end, I really hope I'm on your Story/Author alert because I would never end the story like that. It was not, as someone suggested, a "cop out" =p

I also noticed that some people were still confused with the _Fluo Vita _thing. Basically, fluo vita is a way to transfer someone's life energy/life force/whatever you want to call it to something else. In terms of the horcrux, the idea was that a person's positive energy, when transferred to the horcrux through the spell, would overwhelm the dark piece of soul in the horcrux and destroy it. That's why people (eg. Neville) are so weak afterwards because they're literally pouring their energy into the horcrux.  
When it came to Hermione, Draco took the spell one step further. He was willing to do whatever it took to save Hermione. Instead of just his energy, he tried to use the spell to transfer his LIFE to Hermione to save her. Whether it was enough still remains to be seen.

Anyway, thank you so much for your reviews. As a gift, I tried to update as fast as I could. I tried not to end on a big cliffhanger as I might not be able to update for about 2 weeks. I thought I'd post this up because x'dinosauce threatened to "stalk me down and Crucio me" until I updated (lol) =) Much like the mob that previously assembled – I would appreciate flowers (and reviews!) instead of pitchforks hahahaha.

Here is Chapter 32. Let me know what you think!

* * *

_Last time:_

"_What's the spell?" Draco whispered, quiet but determined._

_Harry looked at him sadly. "I don't think it would wo– "_

"_What's the fucking spell Potter?!"_

"_Fluo Vita." Harry whispered. _

_Gazing at Hermione's face, Draco pointed his wand to her heart. "Fluo Vita."_

_A bright light shone from Draco's wand as his life force was drained from him. After a few moments, Draco collapsed, lifeless, beside Hermione._

**Chapter 32**

At first there was nothing but darkness. A cold mist enveloped her, chilling her to the bone. After a few moments her eyes adjusted and she found herself in a familiar place. Tombstones – rows upon rows of tombtones surrounded her as a thick fog rolled in. She was standing in a graveyard.

She looked down at the headstone beside her. Was this it then? She supposed it was only fitting that the afterlife looked like a graveyard. Why it looked exactly like the place where he died she couldn't even begin to guess. The thought made her look up. Sure enough, in the distance she spied a figure standing with their back to her. She hurriedly moved closer. Brown hair, broad shoulders – she could recognize that silhouette anywhere.

"Cedric?" Hermione called out as she approached the figure.

Cedric turned around, her favourite crooked smile gracing his face.

"Cedric!" Hermione exclaimed with a smile. She reached out to touch his face only to find nothing but air. In an instant the scene around her fell away leaving Hermione momentarily stunned.

When she opened her eyes, she found herself in a different place. She was standing in a field of wildflowers on top of a hill. The sun was shining and the view was breathtaking as she took in the mountains around her and the valley below. Hermione took a deep breath and turned around hoping her assumption was correct. She wasn't disappointed.

Hermione ran to the villa and pushed open the door. She walked in and found everything exactly the same as she remembered. She looked around with a sad smile and thought about her fate. Suddenly, she heard a noise. As she walked towards the kitchen, she found someone else standing by the stove.

_Oh Merlin, no. _Hermione's heart broke as she watched Draco fiddle with the stove, his hair dishevelled, looking like he always did in the morning when they stayed in the villa. He wasn't supposed to be here! He's supposed to be with his mother, with Sophie – he's supposed to be _alive_.

With a deep breath, Hermione approached him. He turned around when she got closer. When their eyes met, nothing else mattered. Hermione threw her arms around him only to once again touch nothing but air.

_Draco! _Hermione screamed as everything disappeared once more.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Draco!"

Strong arms gripped her as she tried to fight her way back to him.

"Hermione! It's okay! Sshh, you're safe...I'm here...you're okay..." A familiar voice murmured as the person held her, rubbing her back to soothe her.

She looked up into bright green eyes glistening with tears.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed. She wrapped her arms around him and held him tight. "Oh, Merlin, Harry, I thought I was...I was..."

"No," Harry's voice shook as he held her. "No, you're alive, you're safe, you're here." They were both shaking in each other's arms.

They held on to each other for what seemed like forever. Harry still couldn't believe it. He held her hand, searched her face, touched her hair, wiped the tears from her eyes – all to convince himself that she was real. He knew that he would think of this moment when he needed his patronus.

Eventually they both calmed down.

"So it's all over then?" Hermione asked, looking up at Harry. "Voldemort's gone?"

"It's over," Harry answered. "The bastard will never hurt anyone again," he added, holding Hermione tighter.

Hermione put her hand to his chest, reassuring herself with his heartbeat as a million emotions flooded through her.

"I was so worried about you," she whispered.

"_You_ were worried about _me_?" Harry asked, his voice pained. Sweet Circe, if she only knew about the agony he felt over the past five days, sitting by her bedside, willing her to wake up. "When I saw you in Malfoy's arms – " Harry's voice broke as the memory of that moment overwhelmed him.

A sharp pain went through her.

"Harry," Hermione said, looking into his eyes, both for him and for her. When she had his attention once more, Hermione continued, trying to keep her voice from shaking. "Is...Is Draco okay?"

Harry looked at her sadly. He didn't know how to answer her. She had just come out of a coma and he wasn't sure how she would take the news. Luckily, he didn't need to.

"Alright, Mr. Potter, stand aside," Madame Pomfrey said as she walked up to Hermione's bed. "Ms. Granger needs her rest and I have to make sure everything's – "

"No, Harry! Don't leave!" Hermione gripped his hand as he moved away from her bed.

Harry gently squeezed her hand and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "I'm not going anywhere," he reassured her. "I'm just going to move over here so Madame Pomfrey can do her job."

Madame Pomfrey looked at her patient kindly though inside her heart broke. The war had taken a toll on all of them but none more so than on the two students in front of her. It saddened her to see the normally strong Gryffindor girl so terrified.

"How are you feeling dear?" she asked Hermione as she took her temperature.

"Ok, I think," Hermione answered. "A little groggy."

"That's to be expected. You've been in a coma for five days so your body is still just starting to wake up. Any pain?" She ran her wand over Hermione and looked for any injuries.

"No. My muscles feel a bit stiff though."

"Here," Madame Pomfrey said, handing Hermione a potion. "This will help with that."

Hermione drank the potion and felt her muscles start to relax. "Thank you," she said to the matron. She looked over at Harry and was about to ask him a question when her vision blurred and she felt really sleepy.

Harry became alarmed when Hermione lost consciousness.

"She's alright Mr. Potter," Madame Pomfrey said, anticipating his reaction. "It's just a sedative draught. She needs her rest." She looked at Harry. "I overheard her last question to you. She may be awake but her body is not yet ready to hear that kind of news. I hope you understand."

"Of course," Harry said as he gently brushed a curl from Hermione face. "Thank you."

Madame Pomfrey touched Harry's shoulder. "She _will_ be alright."

Harry nodded.

"Now, why don't you get some rest, hmm?" The matron looked at Harry concernedly. "The draught won't wear off for a few more hours. I will be here when she wakes. Go get something to eat, dear. I don't need another patient."

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Ah, Ms. Granger, you're awake."

Dumbledore's voice was the first thing she heard when Hermione opened her eyes. Madame Pomfrey was immediately by her bedside before she even got the chance to look at headmaster.

"How are you feeling?" Madame Pomfrey asked as she once again ran her wand over Hermione, checking her condition.

"I'm alright," Hermione answered. "Thirsty and a bit hungry."

Madame Pomfrey smiled. "That's exactly what I want to hear." She placed a tray filled with food in front of Hermione. "Have some water first and eat as slowly as you can."

"Where's Harry?" Hermione asked when the matron moved away.

"Harry went to get some much needed sleep himself," Dumbledore answered, causing Hermione to look his way. "He's fine," he added upon seeing Hermione's concerned face.

"Professor," Hermione began after a moment. She had to know. She took a deep breath to steady herself. "Is Draco alright?"

"Well – "

"Headmaster!" Madame Pomfrey admonished.

"She has a right to know Poppy," Dumbledore replied.

The matron huffed but allowed the headmaster to continue.

"On the night you were captured, as soon as he was able to leave, Draco immediately came to me..." Dumbledore proceeded to tell Hermione everything that happened while she was held at Malfoy Manor, with Hermione filling in with what happened to her.

"As to what happened next, no one else was there so I can only speculate based on what Harry told me," Dumbledore continued. "When Draco found you in danger, he killed his father to save you. Unfortunately, Lucius Malfoy had also cast the killing curse in your direction. However, since they cast it at the same time, my guess is that Lucius died before the spell hit you. Because the caster died, the spell was weakened so you did not get the full extent of the curse. Instead of killing you, it merely rendered you unconscious." Dumbledore paused. "I know it sounds farfetched so here is the second part of my theory." He looked at Hermione. "I think that what we saw with Lily and Harry happened again with you and Draco."

A moment passed as the implication sunk in.

"But...but that means...Draco..." Hermione couldn't even begin to fathom it.

"He loves you," Dumbledore said, confirming Hermione's thoughts.

"But he can't...he doesn't...you don't understand Professor. Draco couldn't possibly love me!" Hermione shook her head.

_Genevieve, Voldemort...after all that he couldn't possibly...could he?_ Hermione thought._ Surely he would've said so! She told him how _she_ felt so there was no need to fear rejection. Why didn't he just say it back? Why hurt her? It's just not possible. But Lily and Harry...Lily was - Oh Merlin!_

"Does that mean...Is he – " Hermione's voice broke as agony threatened to overwhelm her.

"No."

Her heart was pounding and blood was rushing in her ears. Hermione was sure she heard wrong.

"No." Dumbledore repeated himself.

"What?" Hermione asked, struggling to focus on the headmaster. Her chest heaved as she took deep breaths to force air past the lump in her throat.

This was why Dumbledore wanted to be the one to tell her what happened. Harry had gone through enough. He shouldn't have to be the one to put his best friend through this emotional turmoil as well. Dumbledore was determined to not only protect Harry but also to protect Hermione as best as he could. She had a right to know but she needed to hear the whole story in the best way possible. She still considerably weak – one wrong word could have detrimental effects.

"Hermione," Dumbledore said, laying his hand on hers. "You have to stay with me. You must hear me out. What I'm about to tell you might be difficult to hear. You have to listen until the end. Am I clear?"

Hermione nodded slowly as she tried to clear her head and focus on Dumbledore.

"Draco is still alive but barely." Dumbledore took a breath to steady his voice. "When he thought you had died, Draco cast the _Fluo Vita_." Dumbledore squeezed her hand as Hermione's face grew horrified when she realized what Draco tried to do.

"He tried to use the spell to give his life to you," Dumbledore continued. "Eventually, he gave up so much that he collapsed beside you. Healers arrived immediately but we feared it was too late for both of you. When the healers assessed you, we were surprised to find that you were still alive. You were in the deepest coma anyone had ever seen, 'bordering on death', they had said, but you were fighting. Your life force was steadily increasing – faster than what was expected for someone in your condition. When Harry told us about the spell, the Healers' findings confirmed Draco's attempt. It seemed that he had succeeded. His life force was extremely low and the problem was, unlike yours, his wasn't getting any better."

Dumbledore looked at the girl in front of him and marvelled at her strength. Hermione had remained silent and still the whole time, tears flowing steadily down her face. Dumbledore wished it didn't have to be this way.

"However low it was, there was still something there – Draco was still alive." Dumbledore tried to give Hermione some hope. At this point, it was all he had to give. "Right now, Draco is still in a coma. The healers have done all they can and all we can do is wait for him to wake up."

"But _I'm_ fine. I woke up. Why hasn't he? It takes time, sure, but people always get their energy back when they use _Fluo_ _Vita_. I've seen it happen to you sir, every time you destroy a horcrux. Why is it taking this long? Draco wasn't hit with a killing curse so why didn't he get better before me?" Hermione was struggling to make sense of the situation. She didn't understand.

"I don't know Hermione," Dumbledore said. "Draco has regained some of his life force back but not by much and we don't know why. Maybe he gave too much. As for your recovery, no one is sure either. Maybe it _was_ because Lucius died before the spell hit you. Maybe it was similar to what happened with Lily. Just as Lily stepping in front of Harry that night triggered Harry's protection, Draco's attempt to give his life to you may have triggered the same protection. Perhaps it was Draco's life force itself that had _your_ levels rise back up so quickly. I doubt we'll ever know." Dumbledore paused. "Magic works in mysterious ways. At its core it is intertwined with our very being, woven into our essence. I'm afraid we'll never fully understand its complexities – and I don't think we're supposed to."

Dumbledore sat silently as Hermione tried to come to grips with what happened, as she tried to grasp the enormity of what Draco had done for her.

"Sir?" Hermione began, breaking the silence. "Where's Draco now?"

"He's with his mother and sister. As you can imagine, his mother wishes to have privacy so he is currently in Sophie's suite. No one else knows except for Harry and Madame Pomfrey."

"May I see him?"


	34. Chapter 33

Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling nor do I own Harry Potter. See the first ten chapters.

**A/N:** Alright, here it is folks! The _last_ chapter of this story. After almost two years of blood, sweat, and tears, I finally finished!

Though I'm sad to see the story end, I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed taking this long journey with you. Thank you to everyone who's supported me and stuck with me throughout this process. I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed – especially those who consistently encouraged me after each chapter. You know who you are. I'd love to mention you by name because I think you deserve nothing less but I don't want to offend anyone if I accidentally leave them out. Needless to say, I look forward to your reviews every time and your words have helped keep me going. Everyone's reviews brightened up my days – it's cliché, I know – but honestly, you'll never know how much your words meant to me. So thank you, thank you, thank you.

That being said, I'd like to issue a challenge. There are many of you who have added this story to your favourites list or your story alerts but have never reviewed. I sincerely thank you for your support but I would really love to hear from you =) So, here is the challenge: If you've added this story to your favourites, if you've signed up for story alerts, if you've read a chapter, a sentence, or even a word of this story, leave a **review** and let me know what you think. If you've ever written anything, you know how important reviews are. It took me two _years_ to write this story – please take two minutes to let me know what you think. To make it even easier, I'm bringing back the template you can use so all you have to do is copy and paste and fill in the blanks =)

Hi/Hello

I thought this chapter/story was (insert adjective). (Insert other thoughts about the story here). I loved/liked/didn't like _____. (Insert other comments here like 'OMG Draco is soo hot!' =P ).

I know I sound a little desperate but this story has been my project and it really means a lot to me. I really would love to know what you thought of it. To sweeten the deal and give you an incentive to review, I promise to post an epilogue once I hit 650 reviews in total. That sounds like a lot but there's already 467 on the site, which means that we only need 183 more. I'd love to hear from everyone but I'll be generous. There's wayyy more people than that on the Story Alert list alone. So if everyone just gives one review, we can reach the goal no problem. So that is your challenge. I gave you over 110,000 words and all I'm asking for is one review.

With that said, thank you once again for sticking with me to the end. Here is Chapter 33, I really hope you like it.

_

* * *

_

Last time:

_Dumbledore sat silently as Hermione tried to come to grips with what happened, as she tried to grasp the enormity of what Draco had done for her._

_"Sir?" Hermione began, breaking the silence. "Where's Draco now?"_

_"He's with his mother and sister. As you can imagine, his mother wishes to have privacy so he is currently in Sophie's suite. No one else knows except for Harry and Madame Pomfrey."_

_"May I see him?"_

**Chapter 33**

"Are you sure you're ready for this?"

"Yes Harry," Hermione answered with a determined look on her face. "I _want_ to do this. He needs me. And I...I – "

_I need him._

Harry looked at his friend sceptically. He was surprised to find Dumbledore in the hospital wing after he woke from his nap, but the sight of Hermione struggling to get out of bed told him that she knew about Draco. Harry shook his head. Barely hours had passed after waking up from a five day coma (due to the fact that she nearly _died,_ he might add) and she was already trying to fight another battle. But if he knew his best friend, he knew that nothing in the world would stop her when she set her mind to something. He just hoped, for her sake, that this was a battle she could win.

"Well, are you just going to stand there and stare at me or help me out?"

Harry almost wanted to laugh at the tone of her voice. She sounded so much like the bossy eleven year old he met on the Hogwarts Express. He sighed. Things were so much simpler then – back when magic was simply a new and wonderful thing and the only thing he had to worry about was the difference between a quaffle and the snitch.

With another shake of his head, Harry focused back on the present. He held his hand out to Hermione and helped her off the bed.

"Easy there," Harry said, putting his arms around Hermione when she sagged against him. "I don't think your legs are quite ready – "

"I'll be fine," Hermione said shortly. "Just give me a minute."

Harry wisely bit his tongue as Hermione tried to steady herself. After a moment her legs eventually regained some of their strength and Hermione let go of Harry's hand and walked towards the door. Harry followed close behind.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Hermione!"

As soon as Hermione set foot into the suite, a little blonde bundle launched herself in her arms.

"Sophie!" Hermione said, holding the little girl tightly. She buried her face in Sophie's curls. "Oh, how I've missed you!"

Hermione walked over to the couch and gently sat down, keeping Sophie in her lap. She gave the girl a kiss on the forehead. "How are you doing? Are you ok?"

Sophie nodded gravely. Then she tightened her arms around Hermione's neck and leaned her head against the older girl's shoulder. Hermione became alarmed when she felt Sophie start to shake and her shoulder became wet.

"Sophie, what's wrong?" Hermione asked.

"I'm...I'm scared," Sophie said, her voice shaking. "You left before and I don't...know when...you'll leave me again."

"Oh Sophie," Hermione said sadly, gently smoothing Sophie's curls from her face. "I'm so sorry about that. I'm not going to leave you again. I'll always be here for you ok?"

Sophie lifted her head and looked at Hermione. "Promise?"

"Promise," Hermione answered. "I will always be your friend."

"Good," Sophie said with a big smile. She gave Hermione another hug.

Harry watched as Hermione held Sophie tightly. It saddened him to see that Hermione had a whole other part of her life he knew nothing about. Despite everything that Malfoy told him, he was still shocked when a curly-haired little girl walked in with Narcissa Malfoy a few days ago to visit Hermione in the hospital wing. Now, he was shocked once again at how attached the two girls seemed to be with each other.

"So if you're awake..." Sophie's voice broke Harry from his musings. He almost laughed when the little girl scrunched up her nose in thought. This is what Hermione must've looked like as a little girl.

"That means Draco should be awake soon too, right?"

"I – "

"I knew it! _You're_ the one who can make him okay again! I knew he was just waiting for you."

Hermione's heart broke at seeing Sophie's hopeful face. "I don't know if – "

"You can do it Hermione," Sophie encouraged. "You always knew how to make Draco feel better. Remember a long time ago, when Drake was really sad and I asked for an angel but got you instead? Well, I'm glad it was you because he wasn't sad anymore after that. And..." Sophie paused as she tried to think of more examples. Then her face fell. "And when you left, Drake was _really_, really sad again. Then I was sad too because you didn't want to play with us anymore. Why did you leave? Did I do something wrong?"

"No sweetheart," Hermione answered with a sad smile. "You didn't do anything wrong. Sometimes, people argue and your brother and I had a bit of a fight."

"But you love him again, right? When Draco and I fight, Mum makes us forgive each other and say 'I love you'. You have to say that to Draco. Maybe that'll make him get better."

Hermione didn't know what to say. "I –"

"Sophie, who are you talking to?"

Luckily, Narcissa walked out of Sophie's bedroom at that moment, interrupting the conversation.

"Hermione!"

Sophie jumped off Hermione's lap as Narcissa walked over to give Hermione a hug.

"Thank goodness, you're alright dear," Narcissa said.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Hermione said at the same time.

They both gave a small laugh, tears streaming down their faces.

Hermione stopped when she caught sight of the door Narcissa just walked out of. The Malfoy matriarch followed her gaze.

"How is he?" Hermione asked quietly.

"He's hanging on. The healers have done all they could to make him comfortable. All we can do now is wait." Narcissa looked at Hermione. "The healers said that he can hear us when we talk to him. Maybe he's just waiting to hear your voice," Narcissa said, squeezing Hermione's hands.

"Sophie?" Narcissa let go of Hermione and turned to her daughter who was busy showing a stunned Harry Potter all her toys.

Narcissa smiled as she walked over to Sophie. "Why don't we go to Hogsmeade for some ice cream, hmm?" She turned to Harry. "And I'm sure Mr. Potter would love some as well, wouldn't you Mr. Potter?"

"Mr. Potter?" Sophie giggled. "His name's Harry mum!" She turned to Harry. "Oh, please come! Pretty please with cherry on top?" Sophie batted her eyelashes for good measure. She liked her new friend.

Between Narcissa's arched eyebrow and Sophie's pleading pout, Harry couldn't really say no to either.

"Uh, sure, ice cream sounds good." He gave Hermione a small smile as they walked out the door.

Hermione's smile faltered once the door closed behind them, leaving her alone in the suite. Well, almost alone. With a deep breath, she opened the door to Sophie's bedroom.

Hermione barely noticed her surroundings as her eyes immediately focused on the mop of blond hair in the middle of the bed.

"Oh Merlin, Draco," she breathed. She almost collapsed in grief but she willed her feet to move closer.

She would've liked to say that he simply looked like he was sleeping but that wasn't it at all. She always loved to watch him sleep but the figure on the bed was a completely different person. The normally strong Draco, the one who made her feel safe in his arms, looked small and fragile as he lay on Sophie's bed. He was lying so still that she could barely detect the shallow rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. She always marvelled at how peaceful he looked when he slept but this time, his face showed nothing – he was simply blank. And calling his skin pale at this point would be an understatement. It was as if he didn't have any blood at all running through his veins. He looked like he was..._dead_. Transfigure the bed into a casket and no one would know the difference.

Hermione choked back a sob as she sat on a chair beside the bed. She gently reached out and took his hand in hers, trying to ignore how cold he felt to the touch. For a few minutes she just sat there silently, her lips against his hand, willing him to wake up.

"Draco," she whispered. "It's...it's me." Hermione tried to swallow past a lump in her throat as sobs threatened to overtake her. "The healers said you could hear me but I don't even know what to say." She gripped his hand harder as she gazed at his still form.

"I want...no, I _need _you to be okay. Do you hear me? You have to wake up now. You have to keep fighting. Sophie and Narcissa – they're free now Draco. But it doesn't mean anything if you're not with them. Sophie needs her big brother. Who else is going to teach her how to be an insufferable, haughty Malfoy? You don't want her to become a Gryffindor do you? A Malfoy in Gryffindor – can you imagine? Well, that's exactly what's going to happen if you don't wake up. Mark my words Draco, leave her and I _will_ turn her into a Gryffindor. She'll be my special project; and you know I always get 'Outstanding' on my projects. I'll even make her vice-president of S.P.E.W. She'll wear red all the time and free all the house elves –" Hermione stopped, half expecting Draco to suddenly sit up on the bed, vehemently protesting his sister's fate. Her face grew serious once more when he remained still. "Draco, _please,_" she pleaded.

As she said his name, wave after wave of memories came rushing through her head. She remembered the morning after their first date and his favourite way to wake up.

_"I know I'm ridiculously good-looking but could you please go back to bed?" Draco murmured, with his eyes still closed._

_Hermione shook her head. She turned to lean over him. "I'm sorry to say this but it's time to get up," she whispered in his ear._

_"No," Draco answered, still with his eyes closed._

_"Get up," Hermione said softly, kissing his forehead._

_Draco shook his head._

_"Alright then, I'm just gonna have to try harder," Hermione whispered, her lips moving down over his nose, toward his lips. "Draco," Hermione breathed, her lips ghosting over his._

_Draco made his move but Hermione pulled away at the last second, leaving him no choice but to follow and sit up so he could capture her lips with his._

_"You don't fight fair," he said with a pout when they broke for air._

_"I learned from the best," Hermione replied with a smirk._

She knew it was a crazy idea but she was desperate enough to try anything. With a deep breath, Hermione gently climbed onto the bed beside him. Her heart broke once more as she gazed at his face. She reached out and touched his hair, gently sweeping it aside from his face, her tears falling on his cheek. She leaned down and softly kissed his forehead. No response.

"Draco, time to get up," she whispered in his ear.

Nothing.

She slowly moved her face across his and stopped over his mouth.

"Draco," she breathed, her lips ghosting over his. She slowly lowered her lips to his in a soft kiss.

Nothing happened. Draco remained still.

Hermione's head fell on his chest as agony ripped through her body. The thought of losing him hurt like hell but this was a whole other level. He was right there in her arms. He was so close but still out of reach. She had never felt so helpless in her entire life.

"You selfless prat!" Hermione screamed. "Why would you do something so stupid?! You should have just let me die! You can't go and be a hero and then leave me here alone! You can't do this to me! Damn it Draco, wake up!" She buried her face in the crook of his neck as she wept. "_Please_ Draco. You can't leave me. I don't think...I don't think I can take it. My life means nothing without you. Do you hear me? You may have saved my life Draco Malfoy, but it means nothing without you. I _need _you."

As she lay beside him, Sophie's words came back to her.

"_When Draco and I fight, Mum makes us forgive each other and say 'I love you'. You have to say that to Draco. Maybe that'll make him get better."_

Hermione grimaced. Who was she kidding? She was never one to believe in fairy tales – she already tried to kiss him and it certainly didn't work. Still...

"I love you," Hermione said, taking Draco's hand in hers once more. And she did. As she looked at their intertwined hands she knew that she never stopped loving him. Even in the moments when she felt sure he had betrayed her, she never, for one second, stopped loving him. She looked up at his face.

"Did you hear that Malfoy? I love you. Despite your flawed plans and crazy schemes, I still love you. You're an egotistical, pompous, conniving..._Slytherin_, but I still love you. You need to wake up now so I can see what it would be like to have a normal relationship with you. Granted, a relationship with you will never be normal, and I certainly hope it wouldn't be but I'd still like to see where things could go."

Hermione looked at Draco expectantly. Still nothing.

"Draco..."

oOoOoOoOoOo

_There must be a God_.

Whoever was in charge up there certainly had a forgiving nature, because despite everything he did, there was no other place he could be right now than in heaven. It was the only place where they could be together.

Draco smiled as he gazed at the sleeping figure beside him. He gently swept a curl off her face marvelling at her beauty. _His angel_. He buried his face in her hair, breathing in her scent.

As he looked around, Draco noticed that the place was very similar to Sophie's bedroom and he was lying in what looked like Sophie's bed.

_How odd_.

But who was he to question higher powers? He would be content wherever he was as long as she was with him. He brought his attention back to the girl beside him, tracing the planes of her face with his eyes. Merlin, how he loved her! He was about to touch her lips when suddenly, he felt darkness pull him under.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Hermione slowly opened her eyes, smiling at the familiar feel of Draco's body against hers. But as she looked up at his expressionless face, reality came crashing back down.

Hermione slowly got up as she heard someone enter the room.

"Good morning Hermione," Narcissa said with a sad smile. She looked at her son's lifeless form. "Why don't you go and get some breakfast?"

"No, I'm alright," Hermione protested, dreading the thought of leaving Draco.

"I'd like to have a few moments alone with him please," Narcissa insisted gently.

Hermione saw her sorrow mirrored in the woman's eyes and she understood. She kissed Draco's cheek and squeezed Narcissa's hand as she made her way out the door.

oOoOoOoOoOo

_No, please...this can't be happening._

He was in Malfoy manor and lying at the foot of the stairs was Hermione, lifeless. He reached her in two strides and gathered her in his arms. He struggled to catch his breath as anguish tore through his heart.

"Hermione," he pleaded, willing her to breathe.

Suddenly, his father appeared before him and without a word, ripped Hermione from his grasp.

"No!" Draco tried to stop him but the darkness consumed him once again.

But this time, Draco would not succumb. He fought through the oppressive darkness, desperate to get Hermione back.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Hermione."

Narcissa suddenly looked up when she heard it, not daring to hope.

"Hermione."

She was definitely not imagining it!

"Draco?" Narcissa cried as she rushed to her son's side.

Draco slowly opened his eyes. "Mother?" He asked in a hoarse voice.

"Oh thank Merlin!" Tears streamed down Narcissa's face as she held her son. She searched his face, drinking the sight of him in. "Are you alright? How are you feeling? Oh, I must get Pomfrey – "

"Mother," Draco said, stopping Narcissa's flustered speech. "What happened? Why am I in Sophie's room?"

"Oh, sweetheart, I – " Narcissa paused, not knowing where to begin.

Suddenly, everything came back to Draco. _The battle...his father...Hermione –_

"Hermione! Is she...Mother, is she – " Draco choked on the last word. He looked at Narcissa with panic in his eyes.

"She's alive," Narcissa assured him.

Pure, unadulterated relief went through Draco. His whole being practically sang upon hearing those two words.

"I should probably call her. She'd want to know – "

"No." Draco interrupted Narcissa, surprising her.

He didn't want Hermione to know he was awake just yet. He wasn't even sure if she would want to see him anyway. Considering what he did to her, he wouldn't be surprised if she hated his guts. He needed time to collect himself. It would hurt to see her knowing she didn't feel the same way he did. If he saw her now, he would probably lash out at her and hurt her even more. He would need all his strength to let her go and be happy.

Narcissa watched her son as he raked his fingers through his hair. She wanted to take away the sadness in his eyes but she knew that she wasn't the right person to do it. She had never met more stubborn people in her life! They were just as set in their insecurities as they were in their opinions. She could tell them that they loved each other until their ears fell off, but neither would believe it unless they heard it from each other's mouths.

"Is Sophie alright?" Draco asked, breaking Narcissa's train of thought.

"Yes, she's fine and she would be very happy to see you."

oOoOoOoOoOo

"So she's really gone then?"

Hermione was sitting in the Gryffindor Common Room with Neville and Luna. After an emotional reunion with them and Ginny at breakfast, Hermione insisted that Ginny and Harry go out by themselves for the rest of the day. They had, of course, insisted that she, Luna and Neville come with them, but Hermione declined saying that she didn't feel that her body was quite ready to spend a whole day out just yet. She smiled at the thought of Harry finally being able to go on a date without having to look over his shoulder. Knowing that he was busy worrying about her after defeating Voldemort, Hermione was glad to give Harry and Ginny some time to actually enjoy total freedom for the first time.

"No one was supposed to know what happened at Malfoy Manor so naturally, everyone at school knows," Luna replied, leaning her head on Neville's shoulder. "Everyone hated her for betraying Harry and almost making us lose the war. She couldn't handle being a pariah so she left. I think her family may be moving back to France, at least for a little while. Whether she'll be back next year is anyone's guess."

"Although, I don't really think it was fair for people to blame her," Neville added. "I mean, who's to say what anyone would do if Voldemort was in front of you, threatening to torture you."

"Well, _we_ certainly would have died before betraying Harry!" Luna retorted.

"I know that," Neville replied, squeezing Luna's hand to reassure her. "I know that none of _us_ would have betrayed Harry." He looked at Hermione apologetically.

Hermione gave him a soft smile. "I know Neville."

"I'm not saying what she did was right," Neville continued. "What I _am_ saying is that if they were put in that situation, none of these other kids would hesitate to do anything to save their asses. It was hypocritical of them to jump on her case when they probably would've done the same thing. But that's Hogwarts for you."

"It's society in general," Luna said pensively.

"Oh well, that was merely my two cents," Neville said. "I really couldn't care less about Genevieve. If she never comes back, I say, good riddance. I never liked her anyway, especially after all she did to you Hermione." He looked up when someone approached them. "Speaking of people we don't like..."

"Hermione, can I talk to you for a minute?" Ron asked.

Neville and Luna looked at Hermione, ready to back her up if she needed them to.

"You have one minute," Hermione told Ron. "It's okay," she said to her two friends.

Neville and Luna reluctantly got up.

"I need to get a book I lent to Ginny so I'll be in her room," Luna said to Hermione though she was looking pointedly at Ron. "Just yell if you need anything."

"I should make sure the mandrake hybrid I've been growing for Herbology is getting enough sun," Neville said, clearly indicating the window on the far side of the Common Room.

Hermione was touched at Neville and Luna's concern for her well-being. She almost smiled when Neville purposefully bumped into Ron on his way out since he was at least a foot smaller than Ron so it was more awkward rather than threatening.

"What do you want Ron?" Hermione asked.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry." Ron said.

A few moments of silence passed.

"Thank you," Hermione said when he didn't elaborate.

"Thank you? That's it?" Ron asked.

"What do you want me to say Ron?" Hermione countered.

"That you forgive me; that we can be friends again."

"So what, you thought that you would just come over here, say sorry and that's it? We would be friends again and all would be right in the world?" Hermione asked incredulously. "Do you even know what you're sorry for? Or are you just apologizing so people will talk to you again?"

"I...well...er...I'm sorry for...I know it probably wasn't the best way to break up with you," Ron stammered.

"Break up with me? You _cheated_ on me Ron! You didn't just call it off. You went behind my back and cheated on me with another girl. On top of that, you humiliated me – insulted and badmouthed me behind my back. What's worse is that you _used_ me. You never cared about me at all. You just used me to up your status so that you'll have a girlfriend like everybody else. Once someone better came along, you dropped me without a second thought. So pick any of the above Ron, but don't apologize for breaking up with me because it was the only thing you did right."

Ron huffed, his temper slowly rising. "I knew it. I try to apologize and here you are getting all self-righteous again."

"Oh, was that an apology? I didn't know apologies consisted of 'sorry' and an insult in the same breath these days." Hermione paused. "Forget it Ron. I neither want nor need your apology. Let's face it – you're only doing this so that we can be the 'Golden Trio' again and you can have your status back. After all, everything you do is for yourself. I wouldn't be surprised if you just became friends with Harry because of his scar."

Ron fell silent.

"Oh Merlin, no," Hermione whispered as she watched Ron's face.

"You don't understand!" Ron protested. "I was nobody! Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George – they were all good at something. Even Ginny was special because she was the girl. But me? No one cared about me! My whole life, I was always looked over, always so-and-so's brother or Arthur's son, _never_ Ron Weasley. When I got on that train and saw Harry, I thought I could change all that. Finally _be_ somebody – Harry Potter's best friend. Can you imagine?" Ron's tone turned pensive. "My parents would finally be proud of me; to be friends with someone so important, helping him save the wizarding world. Then you walked in, looking for that stupid toad." He looked at Hermione in contempt. "I hated you, you know. Harry was supposed to be _my_ best friend. But once we saved you from the troll, that was it – you became his best friend, too. What's worse is that you both had an identity. Harry was Harry freaking Potter and you were the smartest witch of the age. Even my family loved you! And me? I was once again swept aside – the '_other_ friend', the other third part of the Golden Trio. Sure, I got some attention, but without you and Harry, I was completely and utterly forgettable. Do you know how that feels, Hermione? To be a nobody? To know that no matter what you do, you'll always be ignored? So yeah, I may have done some things I'm not proud of but can you really blame me? I had no choice. I did what I had to do."

"You always have a choice," Hermione answered. "If you had swallowed your pride for a moment and looked around, you would've seen that you weren't nobody – that you were loved. Your family loves you Ron – exactly the way you are. They weren't expecting you to find a cure for lycanthropy or save the world. We _all_ cared about you, and not because you were Harry Potter's best friend, but because you were Ron and you were _our_ friend. So yes Ron, I _do_ blame you because none of _us_ were pretending. If you just stopped caring about what other people thought of you, maybe you wouldn't have felt the need to use us, to use _me_."

As she said the words, Hermione had an epiphany – one that she'd been having for some time now and here it was again. She was guilty of the same thing Ron was. Sure, she never intentionally used or betrayed anyone, but she _did_ let her insecurities affect her relationships and the way she lived her life. What Ron did was wrong – plain and simple – but she _did_ understand; more than he could ever imagine.

"I forgive you Ron," she told him. His face turned hopeful. "But I can't be friends with you, because frankly, I can't trust you."

"And what, you trust _Malfoy_?" Ron spat.

"Yes, actually, I do," Hermione said firmly, willing herself not to take Ron's bait.

Hermione looked into his eyes. "I hope you find the courage to talk to Harry. I don't want him to get hurt the same way you hurt me."

Ron started to protest but Hermione interrupted him.

"Be honest with him and maybe things will work out," she said. "I think you'd rather that it came from you rather than me. I won't say anything for now but mark my words, if you don't say anything and I get so much as an inkling that you'll hurt him, you'll wish you really were nobody."

Hermione walked away before Ron could say anything.

"Hermione, is everything – "

"I'm alright Neville, I just need some air."

oOoOoOoOoOo

Hermione found herself by the lake once again. It was a warm, spring day – the sun was shining and the Giant squid lazily swam around the lake. Hermione found it calming to watch the water gently lap at her feet. She wasn't even thinking about Ron anymore. She thought that for a minute they may have been making progress but Ron remained stubborn. She hoped that he would find a way to change before it was too late.

Right now her thoughts were of a sleeping figure in a hidden part of the castle. Hermione tried to think about other things, about life in general, about what it would be like now that Voldemort was defeated. She had plans of course – the internship then hopefully a career in the department after graduation...but her thoughts always went back to him. She just couldn't imagine life without him. She can't plan her life without knowing how his will turn out.

"Hermione!"

A loud voice interrupted her musings.

Hermione turned around just as Sophie ran up to her.

"Sophie! What a nice surprise!" Hermione said picking her up. "You're out of your suite!"

"Mum says I'm allowed to go out now! Draco's giving me a tour of the castle!" Sophie beamed.

Hermione's heart stopped. For a moment she couldn't breathe. She put Sophie down gently and looked up. Sure enough, Draco was walking up to them.

_Draco was walking – Draco's awake! He's alright! He's...here._ A million thoughts and emotions rushed through Hermione. Her heart was pounding, her blood was racing...she thought she would double over with the intensity of her feelings.

Suddenly he was there. Standing right in front of her. Close enough to touch. Their eyes met.

_Merlin, she's so beautiful_. Draco could barely breathe as he drank the sight of her in, afraid that she would disappear if he blinked. It worked. He still couldn't believe it worked. He knew it was insane and impossible but he was desperate. When he saw her there, lying on the floor, he couldn't think about anything else but her. His world had ended that night. Nothing else mattered, time and logic ceased to exist, all he knew was that she had to be okay. He wasn't going to let her die, he wasn't going to give up on her, not when he still had breath left in his body. And now here she was, in front of him, alive. She may hate him but it didn't matter as long as she was alright. His world had started spinning again. A breeze ruffled her unruly hair and he caught the scent of her floral shampoo. A yearning so strong hit him. He lifted his hand.

Hermione trembled. He was so close. His hand moved closer to her face. The look in his eyes made her lean closer –

A splash and Sophie's giggle brought them up short. Draco dropped his hand and stepped back. Hermione felt the empty space.

"Hello."

"Hi."

"I'm glad to see – "

"How are – "

"You first," Hermione said with an embarrassed laugh.

"Er, how are you feeling? Um, mother said you were in a coma for five days. Good to see you out." Draco rambled, cursing his awkwardness. _Good to see you out? How old are you Draco, 12?_

"Oh, um, I'm fine," Hermione replied, seemingly caught off guard by the question. "Thank you, for...you know..." _Sweet Circe, how awkward can this get?!_

Luckily Sophie decided to interrupt at that moment.

"Draco, I think it's time to meet Mum for lunch now."

"Oh, uh, sure Izzy," Draco replied, reluctantly taking his eyes away from Hermione. "Well, er...I should...go."

"Um, yeah," Hermione said. "Goodbye Sophie."

"Bye Hermione!" Sophie answered before running back toward the castle.

Draco slowly turned around and followed his sister.

Hermione watched him walk away and felt a sense of loss. She turned back towards the lake.

_Who was she kidding? He probably only saved her because he felt guilty. He was, after all, the reason she got captured in the first place. _She mentally slapped herself._ Get a grip Hermione! You know that no amount of magic could've saved you if he didn't care for you. Go after him, you dolt! The man she loved, the man who was willing to give up his life to save hers was walking away from her._ _After everything that's happened, after everything they've been through, was she really going to let him go that easily?_

"Draco."

"Hermione."

They both turned around at the same time. The next moment she was in his arms and he was kissing her like there's no tomorrow. She returned his kisses with fiery intensity. The moment their lips met, the whole world clicked into place. As Draco claimed her mouth, Hermione realized how lost she had been for the past few days. Now, she felt whole. She felt the sense of home that only came when she was with him.

Eventually they surrendered to the need for air and broke off, both breathing heavily. Draco slid his hands from Hermione's hair and gently caressed her face. She gave him a soft smile that had his heart racing faster than it already was. He locked his eyes with hers.

"I love you," Draco said.

Hermione's found it hard to breathe once more. There it was. The three words she had been waiting for from his lips. Her soul practically sang with joy. She looked down, overcome with emotion.

Worried, he gently tilted her face up and looked at her questioningly. Hermione searched the depths of his eyes and was stunned at the emotion they held – and it was all for her.

"Herm – "

She cut off what he was going to say as she crushed her lips to his once more. He pulled her closer to him, almost as if he was afraid of letting her go. She brought her arms around his neck and buried her fingers in his hair as she deepened the kiss, pouring her heart and soul, her worries and anxieties, her relief and her joy, into his lips. It was the only conversation they needed. The kiss expressed more than a lifetime of words could ever say.

"I love you," Hermione said breathlessly when they finally broke apart.

Draco's face broke out in a bright smile as he picked her up and spun her around. He put her down only to capture her lips once more.

"Oi! When you two are done snogging, can we steal the pretty brunette back?"

"Fred! George!" Hermione exclaimed when they turned to the loud voices.

Reluctantly, Draco let go of her knowing she'd want to go to them. Sensing his disappointment, Hermione took his face in her hands and gave him a searing kiss.

"I love you," she breathed, earning another brilliant smile from him. With a squeeze of his hand, she went to her friends.

"Welcome back to the land of the living bookworm," Fred said, as he picked up Hermione in a bone crushing hug. He passed her on to George.

"Dying? How unoriginal. Really, Hermione, were you that sick of us?" George said with a grin.

"I missed you guys," Hermione said, returning their hugs.

"We missed you too," the twins said simultaneously.

"Hey! Don't hog her! We want to see her too!"

Hermione looked behind the twins at the newcomers.

"Bill! Charlie!" She exclaimed, running over to the other Weasley brothers.

Draco watched Hermione and the others from his spot by the lake. He may have fought with them in the Manor but he wasn't quite ready to be chummy with them yet. He was alarmed, however when he noticed one of the twins – was it Fred? Or George? – anyway, a redhead, talking intently to Sophie. With a sigh, Draco made his way over to the crowd.

He found Sophie laughing with delight as the twin changed the colours of her pygmy puff.

"I hope you're not trying to corrupt my little sister, Weasley," Draco drawled when he reached them.

"Why not?" asked Fred. "You already corrupted ours."

They both looked over at Hermione who was currently being hugged by the rest of the Order.

"Touché," said Draco.

"Speaking of which Malfoy," said George. "If you ever hurt her..."

"If I ever hurt her again," Draco said, his gaze softening as he watched Hermione. "I'll floo to your house myself."

"Ah, there's hope for this one after all!" The twins said with a grin, clapping Draco hard on the back.

"Alright boys, that's enough," Hermione said with a smile when she returned to them. She entwined her fingers with Draco's.

"Well come on then, the party's starting," George said.

"We'll be there in a minute," said Hermione.

Everyone made their way into the castle, Fred hoisting a delighted Sophie on his shoulders, leaving Draco and Hermione alone once more.

"Hello," Draco whispered as he took her face in his hands.

"Hi."

He brought his lips down to hers in a mind-blowing kiss.

"I love you," he said.

"And _I_ love _you_," she replied.

"I'll never get tired of hearing that," Draco murmured.

"Good," said Hermione, capturing his lips once more.

"Are you coming with me to the party?" she asked, when they finally broke apart.

"As much as I was willing to brave the Dark Lord for you, a room full of Gryffindors is more than I can handle," Draco replied.

"That's right," she said, remembering the night they drank Firewhisky to celebrate her interview invitation. "Gryffindor parties are too much for your delicate constitution. Lightweight," Hermione teased.

"But I'm _your_ lightweight," Draco countered, leaning down to kiss her.

"Mine," Hermione breathed, nipping his bottom lip with her teeth.

Draco groaned. _She better leave right now or those Gryffindors will never see her again._

Hermione seemed to sense his thoughts. She pulled him closer to her, their lips so close, her breaths mingling with his.

"So, I'll probably be looking for another party after all the Gryffindors have passed out," she whispered in a husky voice. "Can I count on you to be there for me?"

"Always."

The End

* * *

A/N: Thanks for sticking with me! Did you read the author's note above?


	35. Epilogue

Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, 'nineteen years later' would look completely different. Thus, all rights (and blame) go to JK Rowling.

**A/N**: A HUGE thank you goes out to everyone who reviewed. Your words of encouragement meant so much to me and I really can't thank all of you enough. For those who haven't reviewed, please, please, please drop me a line and let me know what you thought.

At the time of posting, the goal for reviews hasn't been reached yet (though we're really close) but I thought I'd post this epilogue anyway as a gift for the wonderful readers who left a review. That being said, even though I've posted this, I would love for the reviews to keep coming.

As another added bonus, this epilogue is actually just the first part. Surprise! I have a couple more scenes planned out so there'll be a few more postings that I hope you all will look forward to. I'm not going to set a goal of reviews before I post the next chapter, but please _do_ let me know what you thought of this one. I liked the way I ended the story but sometimes I like it when authors give readers an idea of what happened after. However, epilogues _can_ be detrimental to a story (case in point: Deathly Hallows) so please don't expect anything too profound or exciting. The official ending of this story is the previous chapter. The next chapters are simply brief glimpses in the lives of Draco and Hermione. If you happen to not like them, feel free to forget about them and remember the last chapter as the actual ending to the story. If you _do_ like them, then feel free to remember them as part of the story =p Either way, PLEASE let me know what you think and review! I'm in the middle of final exams as of the moment so I would really appreciate your reviews to help put a smile on my face =)

Anyway, I've rambled on enough. Here is the much awaited epilogue and all I can say is, review, review, review! Hope you enjoy it!

**Epilogue**

Six years later...

_The Ministry of Foreign and External Affairs has just announced its new ambassador to continental Europe. Hermione Granger, Head of Transportation for the Department of International Magical Cooperation and Harry Potter's best friend, beat out several high-ranking candidates to become the youngest witch to hold the prestigious position. Working her way up from an intern, Ms. Granger was pivotal in the success of... (for more details turn to page 3)_

Hermione looked at her picture in the front page of the Daily Prophet as she took a sip of her coffee and sighed contentedly.

So much has changed in the six years since the fall of Voldemort. Harry and Ginny just had their first child, James Sirius, of whom they named Hermione, Fred, and George as the godparents. Ron had surprisingly listened to Hermione and told Harry everything. After a few weeks, Harry eventually forgave Ron but the friendship between them inevitably changed. Despite the falling out, Harry and Hermione remained close with the rest of the Weasley clan and they were now on civil terms with Ron.

In order to make a life (and a name) for himself on his own terms, Ron decided to move to America two years after graduating from Hogwarts. There he became a successful food critic; travelling around the country to rate various wizarding restaurants for the National Pensieve, the American counterpart to the Daily Prophet.

To their chagrin, Genevieve returned for their seventh year and took her position as Head Girl. Upon her return, Draco wanted to give up the Head Boy position but Hermione convinced him that it would be better for him and for the school if he stayed on. It was no secret that Harry, Draco, and Hermione didn't like her so for the most part, Genevieve stayed out of their way.

The Malfoys moved back to the villa in France as soon as Draco had recovered from his coma. The first years after Voldemort's death were a bit tumultuous as wizarding Britain tried to rebuild itself. While there wasn't an all-out war, the Death Eater infiltration within the Ministry and wizarding society ran deep and it took a while to restructure everyone's daily lives. Narcissa wanted to protect Sophie from the chaos and backlash as much as possible. As a result, Sophie grew up in a happy home surrounded by people who loved her without experiencing any of the hate and stigma that surrounded her family.

Hermione smiled as she remembered the way Sophie's face lit up when she received her Hogwarts letter two weeks ago. Living in France, Sophie received a letter from Beauxbatons as well but there was no question as to which school she would choose. She wanted to follow in her brother's and Hermione's footsteps for as long as she could remember. Besides, Hogwarts had been her home once and she couldn't wait to make it her home once again. The only question that remained was which house she would be in. Even without the Malfoy name, Sophie had the makings of a Slytherin since the day she was born. Though kind and generous, Sophie was intelligent, cunning, and ambitious. She had a knack for getting into trouble and she was not above using her charm and beauty to get what she wanted. No matter what she did, it was difficult to stay mad at Sophie when she put on what Draco called, her 'innocent angel' look. Therefore, Sophie (and Hermione) knew that she would be in Slytherin. However, it was too amusing to let Draco think otherwise so the girls teamed up against him. They enjoyed watching him get riled up at the thought of Sophie in Gryffindor so whenever they were together, Hermione would talk about how great it would be to be in Gryffindor while Sophie spouted off facts about the House, its common room, its history, etc. Much to Draco's horror, Sophie had also taken to wearing nothing but red and gold for the past two weeks. Though he took it in stride and with good humour most days, there were times when Hermione saw just how much it would mean to him for Sophie to be in Slytherin. It was in these times that Hermione wanted to give in and drop the act but it was way too much fun. So instead, she would just catch his eye, put her arms around him, and give him a kiss. That usually put the smile back on his face.

With his family safe in France, Draco bore the brunt of the Malfoy backlash when he returned to Hogwarts for his seventh year. As difficult as it was, he found that as long as Hermione was with him, he really couldn't care less what anyone else thought. The animosity eventually blew over when people realized that their saviour and his best friend stood by the former DeathEater.

"That picture did not do you justice."

Hermione's musings were cut short as the object of her thoughts walked up to her table. She looked up from the paper and smiled.

"Good morning," she greeted, leaning up for a kiss.

After a while (and a few stares) they eventually broke for air.

"So, do you have time for me today or are you too busy now Ms. Ambassador?" Draco asked as he sat down.

"No, I don't start until Monday so I'm all yours today," Hermione answered with a laugh.

"Good because I wanted to bring you somewhere today."

"Oh? Where?"

"It's a surprise."

oOoOoOoOoOo

After finishing their breakfast, Draco instructed her to close her eyes as he apparated them to a different location.

"Open your eyes."

Hermione looked around and found herself by the river in the Forbidden Forest - Draco's secret spot and the place of their first kiss. It was also the place where Draco told her he was about to get the Dark Mark. Worried, Hermione turned to face him.

"Is there something you want to tell me?" she asked.

"I love you," he replied before giving her a tantalizingly sweet kiss.

"I love you too," Hermione replied when they broke apart. She noticed that Draco seemed kind of nervous. "Draco, are you alright?"

"Yes," he answered with a soft smile. He took a deep breath and lifted his hand to caress her face. "Hermione, the day your parents forced you to leave Hogwarts was one of the worst days of my life. It was the first time when I became truly scared of losing you. When I finally held you in my arms the night you returned, that was when I knew I loved you." He paused.

"I loved you since then, but for the longest time I wouldn't allow myself to truly feel it. I was always thinking ahead, making decisions soaked with fear. Today, because of you...what I learned from you; every choice I made was different and my life has completely changed. Hermione, if not for you I wouldn't be who I am today... So thank you for giving me a chance... thank you for letting me love you and thank you for loving _me_."

Hermione opened her mouth to reply when Draco gently touched her lips.

"Please let me finish," Draco whispered as he looked intently into her eyes.

"The first time I held my wand, I knew...It felt right, like it had been made for me...It's a part of me and I'd feel lost without it. That's how I feel about you.

I promised myself a long time ago that I would protect and look after you. But it works both ways. I look after my wand because it protects and looks after me...And together we're stronger. Since the night you left, there have been too many times when I thought I lost you. I don't ever want to feel like that again."

"So," Draco took a deep breath and went down on one knee. "Hermione Granger, will you marry me?"

Hermione was stunned. For the first time in her life, she was truly rendered speechless.

"Draco," she began after a moment. "Of every single man in the world...you are the only one – "

"Is that a yes?" Draco blurted.

"Will you let me finish?" Hermione asked.

"Sorry, bit nervous," Draco said with a rueful smile.

"The only one," Hermione continued trying to hide a smile. "Who would...propose...by comparing me to a piece of wood." A small laugh escaped her lips.

"Is that a no, then?" Draco's face fell. He slowly stood up. "I...I just thought this would be a good time... now that your career has settled. I didn't want to slow you down or distract you from your goals."

"You thought _you_ would be distracting?" Hermione asked, trying to keep a straight, serious face.

Draco was so let down by what he thought was rejection that he missed her playful tone. "Well, I thought...I had hoped – "

Hermione finally caved and interrupted him with a searing kiss.

"Yes," she breathed when they came up for air. "A thousand times, yes!"

"Yes?"

Hermione nodded with a beaming smile, too overwhelmed for words.

Luckily, they didn't need words as Draco exultantly captured her lips once more.

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A/N: Hit the review button, pretty please with cherry on top?


	36. Epilogue Part II

Disclaimer: In _my_ epilogue, Draco would be the hottest 37 year old man alive, complete with a full head of gorgeous, luscious, run-your-fingers-through-it hair. Thus, all rights (and blame) belong to JK Rowling.

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone's who reviewed! I really can't thank you guys enough. I apologize for not personally replying to each review but life got in the way. I will try to do better, I promise.

So, finally, here's part two of the epilogue! Again, please keep in mind that these are merely glimpses – various little moments in their lives after the story. More like drabbles, really. Please don't expect anything profound or intense. The main story ended with Chapter 33. With that being said, I hope you enjoy this and as always, please let me know what you think!

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Epilogue Part II

_The Minister of Magic is hosting a dinner for all ambassadors and prominent businessman of the international magical community this Thursday evening. The prestigious event, whose guest list reads like a Who's Who of the wizarding world, is being held amidst rumours of a tumultuous marriage and impending divorce between the Minister and his wife Genevieve Dawson, née Harrington. Some speculate that... (for more details on the rumoured divorce turn to page 5. Who was invited? Who was left out? For the exclusive guest list, turn to page 7)_

"What are you thinking?" Hermione asked as they walked up a long driveway toward a stately manor. Her husband had been staring at her since they apparated onto the property a few minutes ago.

"Have I told you how amazing you look tonight?" Draco replied, marvelling at how the lighted path seemed to make his wife glow with ethereal beauty beside him.

"You may have mentioned it a couple of times," Hermione said, giving him a soft smile.

They had arrived at the door but Hermione turned to Draco before reaching for the knocker.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I know how much you hate these things – "

Draco cut her off with a kiss.

"I may hate these stuffy dinners but you forget love, that I'm a Malfoy. I've been doing 'these things' since I was born. Besides, I can't let the old geezers in there ogle you all night unchallenged." At Hermione's warning look, he added. "Don't worry, I'll be on my best behaviour."

Hermione leaned closer to him. "Be on your best behaviour," she whispered. "And later tonight, I'll make sure to be on my worst."

With a groan, Draco captured her lips once more.

Suddenly, the door opened, causing Draco and Hermione to jump apart. Blood rushed to Hermione's face as she met the eyes of their host for the evening.

"Ah Draco! Welcome! So good of you to come!" Genevieve greeted with a smile after a moment. She leaned over to pull him in, giving him a hug and kiss on both cheeks. She looked at Hermione behind him. "Hermione," she acknowledged with a nod and a tight smile.

Once a house elf collected their coats, Genevieve led them to the parlour.

"What a beautiful house you have here Genevieve," Hermione commented.

"Oh yes, as the Head of State we must have the best of the best. Of course, it doesn't hurt that I have exquisite taste," Genevieve replied. "I swear, Harold will buy anything no matter how ugly it was as long as it's expensive," she added with a laugh.

oOoOoOoOoOo

The sound of silverware and china filled the room as the servers brought out the main course.

"Mr. Malfoy, I must congratulate you on the new wing of St. Mungo's. It's simply a stunning piece of architecture," said Eugene Dervish, owner of Dervish and Banges and Puddlemere United. "I'd like to have you design the new store we're opening in Paris."

"Thank you Mr. Dervish," Draco replied. "Contact my office and we can set up an appointment."

"I must say Draco, as a Pureblood _and_ a Malfoy, it must be upsetting to have a wife with a more prominent career than you," Genevieve said.

Outraged at Genevieve's obvious attempt to divide them, Hermione clenched her fist under the table. Suddenly, she felt Draco's hand reach for her own. He gently loosened her fingers and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Even at school I always knew Hermione was better than me," Draco replied smoothly without missing a beat. "So it comes as no surprise that she would do extremely well for herself. I only wish I can accomplish half the things that she has," Draco finished with a smile.

"Besides," he added. "Everyone knows that the wife is, and always will be, the _real_ master of the house. Isn't that right gentlemen?"

The whole room erupted in laughter.

oOoOoOoOoOo

After dinner, the guests congregated in the ballroom.

"Your negotiations with the Greek ministry were phenomenal my dear. You saved us all a lot of headache."

"Thank you Mrs. O'Malley. I was simply doing my job," Hermione answered.

"Oh, there's Mrs. Delacroix!" Mrs. O'Malley exclaimed, spotting the French Minister's wife. "Goodness, I haven't seen her in ages! Would you excuse me dear?"

"Of course," Hermione replied with a smile.

"Champagne?" Genevieve asked, walking up to Hermione.

"No, thank you."

"Oh yes, that's right! You're expecting a little one soon aren't you? How far along are you?"

"A little bit more than two months."

"Yes, you're starting to show. How quaint." Genevieve's smile was sickly sweet. "This would be your second?"

"Yes, my eldest daughter is two and a half," Hermione replied.

"Goodness, however do you manage that? A busy career, a toddler, _and_ another one on the way – what a family!"

Hermione didn't miss Genevieve's insulting undertone. She was about to give a scathing reply when she saw Draco talking to two businessmen across the room. His face lit up when their eyes met and he gave her a wide smile.

Hermione let her happiness pervade her reply. "What a family, indeed!"


End file.
